Immortal
by salus gem
Summary: Oneshot. Immortal Harry, his vampire mate and vampire friends Ron and Hermione catch wind of there being an immortal child in forks. Naturally outraged by such horrible tales they set about verifying the truth…only to discover a family in need of their help. Slash. BZ/HP, RW/HG, normal Twilight pairings.


**Immortal**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, Twilight or the Tale of the Three Brother and the Deathly Hallows, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

**Summary:** Non-Epilogue compliant. Immortal Harry, his vampire mate and vampire friends Ron and Hermione catch wind of there being an immortal child in forks. Naturally outraged by such horrible tales they set about verifying the truth…only to discover a family in need of their help.

**Warnings:** Slash, some recounting from films and books, immortality, vampires.

**Pairings:** BZ/HP, RW/HG, TL/LC, typical Twilight pairings.

* * *

Harry walked through the door to his home and was immediately wrapped up in strong arms with seeking hands that ran up and down his arms followed by a nose that sniffed as it went.

"You are bleeding." The voice was calm, gravelly, but Harry could sense the simmering anger beneath the surface.

"Yeah. Got hit by a well-aimed severing charm." The spell was very well aimed, sliced through the top of Harry's arm right down to the bone. The wizard who had sent the curse immediately regretted it afterwards because not only was Harry impervious to having his limbs severed from his body it also drew Harry's attention and within seconds Harry had the man bound and wandless.

"Let me see." Blaise demanded and Harry could see his fingers were clenching and unclenching in an effort to not tear apart Harry's clothes to get a better look. Harry had lost so many robes and jumpers to Blaise over the years it was a miracle Blaise finally had himself under control enough to not just tear through the barriers. Healing his own wounds before returning home didn't help either because there were still lingering traces of his blood on him and Blaise always knew, always. Harry's blood was just potent to Blaise.

Shrugging off his robe Harry undid the buttons on his shirt one handed and slid it off his arm. Blood stained the entire sleeve and Harry winced at the amount of it. There would have been no hiding that from Blaise, the vampire senses would have sensed the blood whether Harry had showered and changed or not.

"It wasn't as bad as it looks, I promise. It was raining." Harry offered but it did nothing to cool the sizzling rage in crimson eyes as Blaise stared avidly at the sleeve as it was discarded. Harry felt the moment Blaise's attention turned to the wound on his arm because hands followed his gaze and Harry was grabbed and the edges of his cut prodded gently. Harry winced. It didn't hurt that much, not really. But Harry knew what he felt as a twinge of discomfort was probably agony for most people. It was the downside of being immortal.

"I can see your bone." Blaise's voice was toneless and emotionless. He spoke bluntly and without guile. Harry couldn't withhold the wince then, uh oh.

"Yeah well we can heal it right back up and it will be okay again."

"Who did it?" Blaise demanded, pearly white teeth clenched together angrily and crimson eyes boring into Harry's.

"Just some wizard." Harry dismissed and pulled his want to heal himself, since it was clear Blaise wasn't going to do it for him. Blaise saw the movement and growled, the noise rumbling from the relatively stoic man. Blaise leaned forwards and folded over the wound on Harry's arm so Harry couldn't heal it. "Blaise!"

"Who?!"

"Just some wizard! He's in custody and the whole thing is finished with." The placation was feeble and Blaise probably didn't care to hear it as a reassurance.

"It should never have happened in the first place! You had resigned!" Blaise's words were angry, low and rough, but the tongue that lapped at the wound on Harry's arm was gentle in comparison. Harry gasped in an unnecessary breath and shuddered, distracted by the touch an unable to answer for a moment as pleasure raced up his arm, down his spine and to some rather sensitive anatomy.

"They needed some help. Ron was there too!"

"That is beside the point…" Blaise pulled back from Harry's arm to look up at Harry. Blood smudged the edges of cocoa coloured lips, crimson eyes brighter and gleaming more than before because of the blood. Those eyes encompassed all of Harry's attention away from the words. Blaise's tongue snuck out and licked the corner of his mouth, eyes still staring fixatedly on Harry's. The connection between them was as potent as they day they met again, the pull to Blaise heart wrenching and impossible to ignore. Harry took a small step forwards, reaching out to touch Blaise's face.

"Uncle Harry?" The voice was tentative, then was followed by a long set of deep sniffs. "Why can I smell blood?"

Harry closed his eyes in dismay, holding back the groan that threatened to break through. When he opened his eyes again he noticed Blaise's eyes were sparkling with restrained emotion, his face was impassive and he was pulling away looking as detached as normal. Harry's arm was released and Blaise stepped away. A finger trailed through the blood on Harry's arm and Harry watched as Blaise lifted his blood covered finger to his lips, sucking it off before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and cleaning that off too.

"Uncle Harry?" Harry's attention snapped from his mate over to the little boy waiting in the doorway to the hall. Teddy's hair was spiked up, fluffed out impressively and a sharp black colour tinged with copper. His eyes had taken on the sharp amber of a wolf's and his shoulders were hunched slightly. Harry was willing to bet a lot of money that if Teddy had been in wolf form the boy's heckles would be raised right up. Stuck in human form for now Teddy's metamorphmagus abilities had him mimicking those of the wolf's.

"I'm fine Ted. Just got a bit of a cut, that's all. I'll clean it up now okay? So calm down." Harry pointed his wand at his arm and healed the cut. His skin knitted together seamlessly creating smooth pale flesh. Teddy scented the air again and those bright eyes fixed on the bloodied shirt lying by Harry's feet. Harry groaned, bent down and picked it up. "I'll wash this too."

"Are you sure you're okay Uncle Harry?"

"Your uncle is absolutely fine." Blaise's voice slid through the air like honey, the vibrations in the air creating soothing warmth around Harry. Teddy glanced over at the man, amber eyes searching. Harry would never understand the connection between Blaise and Teddy; they had created a sort of unacknowledged hierarchy of power between them that absolutely excluded Harry. Blaise had the last say in everything and Teddy would go along with it, not disobeying at all. You would have thought considering the boy was eight there would be some scuffles and power plays, but no. Teddy just gave in which was incredibly odd considering Blaise was a vampire and Teddy was a wolf, natural enemies for centuries. The pair had created that unacknowledged bond because of Harry though. Harry had expected, upon introducing his mate to his godson, that he would become stuck in the middle between two opposing forces. And that did happen, for the first two weeks they all lived under one roof. Then Harry had become wounded at work during his resignation period and something had snapped. Suddenly it was Blaise and Teddy as the unit and Harry as the opposing force. Since then the respect had remained…and the out numbering had remained, much to Harry's chagrin.

"I thought he wasn't going to work there anymore."

"Apparently there are exceptions to be made." Blaise ground out and the eight year old boy turned accusing eyes to Harry.

"Uncle Harry you promised!"

"I did not." Harry scoffed and moved further into the house in the direction of the kitchen. "I promised I wouldn't work unless it was important."

"And what was so important about today?!" Teddy shot back, the impertinence just the right side of tolerable.

"Attack by terrorist faction against a muggle foster home." Harry delivered the news bluntly and coldly, spinning around to see the reaction to the two beings behind him. Teddy's face dropped into surprise and understanding. Blaise's reaction was far less outlandish, the man just quirked one eyebrow up and stared hard.

"Oh." Teddy muttered. "Were any kids hurt?"

"Nope. We got there just in time." Harry chirruped happily and Teddy brightened immediately, nodded and his posture relaxed. Teddy's hair turned smooth and curling honey blonde, eyes returned to calm brown-gold pools skin turned healthy golden brown.

"Okay then." And with that the boy left to go back upstairs.

Harry turned patient eyes on his mate. The crimson eyes of the vampire stared back equally patiently, it was just a matter of time to see who cracked and broke the silence first.

It took five minutes but then it was Harry who broke.

"I'm fine aren't I?!" He demanded and held his arms out to the side as if to display he was unharmed now.

"Yes. Now." Was all Blaise said and crossed strong arms over his broad chest. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Look, just because I'm not like you doesn't mean I'm fragile! I'm immortal too! I just don't have all your…impenetrability!" He might not have been as impenetrable as Blaise and other vampires like the man but that didn't mean he wasn't hard to break. A fully powered severing charm, well aimed and cast by a reasonably powerful dark wizard, had only succeeded in penetrating through half of Harry's skin and had not even chipped the bone. To a normal mortal that charm would have completely sliced away the limb. To Harry it was just a very deep wound, perfectly healable and not very painful. He wasn't impenetrable but he wasn't easily breakable either. And wizards could easily reattach severed limbs to their bodies if there was cause to.

"Yes, but you are mine and I am loathe to see you damaged."

"I am not damaged!"

"Not now, but you were." Blaise muttered then waved his hand through the air dismissively. The years of knowing Blaise had taught Harry that the hand gesture meant that Blaise was leaving that conversation now and no amount of goading would get him to converse on the topic further. "I'm going to make a fire call. Eat something."

"Yes sir." Harry muttered sarcastically. He received a tooth filled smirk for his comment so he knew the sarcasm in his words was being over looked.

"Now you understand." Blaise commented, voice full of dark humour.

"Understand my arse! Just go and make your fire call and leave me alone. I've got stuff to do."

"Yes. Like eat. And take a potion."

A potion. Ah. Harry looked carefully at Blaise and then flicked his gaze over to the potions cabinet.

"Which potion?"

"Blood replenishing."

Harry swallowed, heat surging through him again. His arousal easily returning from where Teddy had shredded through the lust filled tension earlier.

"I didn't lose that much blood." Harry muttered, hoping the statement would prompt Blaise to reveal what Harry really hoped Blaise was hinting at. Sure enough Blaise obliged.

"Not yet, but you will."

The statement was provocative and dangerous. It sent shivers down Harry's spine and his already rapidly beating heart going faster. Lust coiling tightly Harry could only moan when gentle fingers suddenly caressed the side of his neck. Through half lidded eyes Harry peered up at the crimson eyes that smirked down at him.

"Let's hope Teddy falls asleep quickly tonight."

Harry received the briefest kiss to his lips then Blaise was gone in the tell-tale rush of air that betrayed how fast the vampire moved.

Harry glanced at the clock. Six o'clock. Damn it! Teddy didn't go to bed until eight o'clock…and the boy was old enough to be able to tell the time now too so Harry couldn't trick him.

2 hours…

* * *

Harry woke up quickly, as he always did now. There was no lingering and surfacing from sleep slowly. One minute he was asleep, the next he was awake. He supposed it was the side effect of being immortal.

Climbing out of bed Harry padded over to the bathroom. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and noticed nothing out of the ordinary. Same face staring back at him, same hair, same body, same scars, same everything. Blaise must have healed him the night before when he fell asleep, and cleaned him up. Still, Harry could use a bath. Sleeping always made him feel…not dirty, more like stuffy or stale.

As an immortal Harry didn't need to sleep very often, but when he did sleep about once a week he always slept for a solid twelve hours. Harry was willing to bet it was at least eleven o'clock now, not that he was going to check because that meant going back into the bedroom and the warm water hammering out of the taps was a little too inviting.

Harry slipped out of his sleep pants, took care of business, then climbed into the bath. The magically enhanced taps made the water flow very quickly and as a result the huge tub was over half filled already with potion rich, sweet smelling water. Harry sank down and leaned his head against the side of the tub. Ahh! He loved a hot bath! He liked being cold too, otherwise he wouldn't love being with Blaise so much, but there was something to be said for immersing oneself in roasting hot water.

"Enjoying it?"

Harry jumped then glanced over to Blaise who was perched on the toilet, clothed legs crossed and an amused smith tilting the corner of his lips up.

"Yes thanks." Harry breathed then rolled his eyes at Blaise. "How long have you been there?"

"A few seconds. I came here when you climbed in, you didn't hear me."

"Obviously." Harry muttered, cheeks heating slightly with embarrassment. Immortal or not, enhanced hearing or not, Harry didn't always hear Blaise. Most of the time it was because when he was home there was no point in listening out for him. "Did you want something?"

"Nope. Just came to tell you Ron and Hermione are here. They were talking about going hunting tomorrow with us all. Or perhaps just taking Teddy out."

"Did you need to hunt?" Harry asked and those crimson eyes crinkled more into a smirk as they landed on Harry's neck again.

"No. I've fed enough." Blaise muttered. "How about you? Need to hunt?"

"Not really, I can get by on human food for now."

"Aww Harry!" That voice came from downstairs. The voice was barely raised but Harry heard it none the less. "Come on mate! You haven't hunted with us in months!"

Harry sighed. He could hunt he supposed. "Alright then. Where?"

"I've secured us a portkey to Sweden for tomorrow at eleven." Hermione's voice drifted upstairs into the bathroom. Eleven would mean it was late enough that few muggles would be out. Good.

"Alright then. Better make sure Teddy knows he has to have a late night tonight and a nap tomorrow." Harry indicated to Blaise who nodded and shrugged.

"He won't mind. And since you won't be sleeping tonight it will all work out rather nicely." Blaise murmured, appearing at the edge of the bath and giving Harry a tantalisingly slow kiss to his lips.

"Oi! Leave off! Not while we are still here!"

"Ron!"

Harry and Blaise broke apart with a huffed sigh, Harry gave Blaise a rueful laugh.

"Later." Was all Blaise said and pulled back, walking out of the bathroom with mortal speed. Harry sighed and sank into the bath again.

He hadn't been hunting in months, it would be good to have a change but Harry wasn't sure he really fancied it for himself. He'd change his mind when he was on the hunt though; the heat of the moment made killing his prey sweeter and if they were travelling to Sweden Harry would bet Ron had his heart set on bear. There was something about a vampire's nature that made them want to kill predators, and Ron had taken to that instinct like it was a sport.

Harry had found out he was immortal quite by accident. Only a 2 years after the war Harry had been involved in an accident during routine auror training abroad in Finland, so they could get used to working in frozen conditions. Harry had been knocked unconscious along with several other aurors because of one of his team mates, had tripped over and snapped his wand. The dubious repair job he had done on his broken wand meant he tried to cast a simple flare charm only to end up blowing everything up instead as the wand malfunctioned.

Harry woke in hospital the next day feeling fine, and the Healer who attended him told him how lucky he had been to not be so close to the explosion. Only that had made no sense because Harry was standing right next to the wizard whose wand had exploded everything. Then the healer cast a different charm, one to tell age, and then started interrogating Harry as to why a seventeen year old was in the aurors. Harry explained he was nineteen but the healer said you couldn't argue with the charm and showed Harry the numbers the spell produced. The spell found a person's age in days, Harry's showed up as 6484 days which the Healer then did some maths on and produced the exact age to be 17years, 9months and two days old. Harry said there had been a mistake and told the healer his birthday was July 1980 but the healer had only started checking his head for concussion.

A week later Harry got back to England he told Ron and Hermione what had happened and Hermione performed the charm again. The spell came up with 6484 again. Hermione did the maths and came out with the same age the Healer had. Then she performed the spell on Ron. He came out as 7290 days old, Hermione came out as 7454 days old. It wasn't a nice thing to be reminded how much older than your boyfriend you were on Valentine's Day. However, it did bring home the reality of the situation.

Harry was stuck at seventeen years of age. He hadn't aged a day since then.

They kept it quiet, just between them, but began experimenting. They worked out that the day Harry had stopped aging was the second of May 1998, the day of the Battle of Hogwarts. They discovered that while Harry wasn't indestructible he was hard to bring down. He had impressive speed that, now they were aware of it, kept increasing. It seemed that now Harry was actively conscious of the fact that he was immortal he slowly began discovering things that being oblivious had meant he couldn't. It was like the saying ignorance was bliss. And his bliss kept him ignorant for longer therefore starting a vicious cycle. Now he knew about it keeping his strength to mortal levels was more of a straining on his concentration, stopping himself form running or even walking too fast was tricky and as for stopping is heightened senses…Harry didn't have a chance.

Harry remembered falling into a depression. He dumped Ginny, he hid himself away and he took sick leave from the aurors. He abandoned his friends and just hid from the world.

Until his sick leave ended and he had to return to work. He went through the processes as best he could but lost his spirit. Then they were assigned to the case of Lady Ursula Mountcastle-Zabini-Austin. A house elf had reported that she was keeping her newest husband in the basement along with her husband's lover and her only son. Lady Ursula was famous for being the uncatchable Black Widow, the English Rose with quite an impressive set of thorns and an incredibly wealthy bank account. Thinking they would find nothing the head of the aurors didn't send his best men, he sent the newest trainees. Harry and Ron were amongst those people.

They had arrived at the stately home, burst through the doors and made their way straight downstairs where, by an impressive string of luck, they discovered Lady Ursula screaming through the window of a door at the people inside. She was ranting and raving over how the vampire was 'supposed to kill her husband for her, not turn him', and how all her 'carefully laid plans were ruined because of Blaise', and 'how could I have raised a son who would betray me'. The final straw was when the woman said she would have to burn the home down so at least nobody would suspect foul play. Still not noticing the aurors the woman had started casting incendios and wishing the people in the room a painful death.

That was when the aurors struck. They incapacitated Lady Ursula, put out the fires and then broke into the room where they did indeed find Lady Ursula's husband and son, and another man. All of them were vampires. Blaise was a newly turned vampire if the crimson eyes were anything to go by, Lord Austin was still completing his transformation, and the final Vampire was a muggle human blood drinker by the name of Demetri. Harry had cautiously gone over to help Blaise. He helped the vampire stand up, not that Blaise needed much help and made to dismiss Harry. Only when they touched and when they met gazes they felt the connection.

Mates.

Some people were just instantaneously compatible, sometimes you just knew. And Blaise just knew. Harry had known there was something but not what. Then he couldn't leave Blaise alone.

It was a few weeks after that, on Hermione's twenty first birthday, that Hermione and Ron informed Harry and Blaise that they had decided to ask Blaise to turn them into vampires so that Harry wouldn't have to spend an eternity on earth alone, with everybody he ever loved dying before him. They said Harry had lost enough and he shouldn't have to face the loss of everyone so Hermione and Ron would step into immortality with him. They made a convincing argument too; loving Harry too much, not wanting children, Hermione had a lot to learn, the people they would leave behind were important but not more important than Harry and so on and so forth. Harry had argued against it but in the end his friend's decisions ran out. Even the idea that they would have to become killers, _murderers_, didn't dampen their decision. Hermione had apparently researched it and found that vampires could survive off animal blood, and then there were always blood pops if they were desperate or Harry's blood. Because Harry could be drunk from without being effected by the vampires venom and couldn't be killed that way.

They were both turned on Halloween in Alaska in Canada, where there weren't people around for miles but enough wildlife to feast upon.

Now it was six years later and Ron and Hermione were still around, still unregretful and still Harry's best friends in the world. They helped make the idea of immortality bearable, and they all suffered together as they saw the Weasleys grow older, gain a few wrinkles, and bemoan their grey hairs.

"Hurry up Harry!"

Well, sometimes they made immortality bearable.

"I'm having a mortal minute! Leave me alone!" Harry called back down.

"You meant you dozed off! At least you can't drown!" Ron's joke was punished by the loud rumbling of thunder that Harry knew was the sound of somebody hitting him. It was probably Hermione. Blaise would have just stared angrily.

"Be down in a minute." Harry hurried up his bath going through the motions quickly but succinctly, drying off and getting dressed so he could go downstairs to see his friends.

* * *

Hunting was amazing! Harry laughed as Ron re-enacted his battle with the bear with Teddy, who was still in wolf form trying desperately to fend off his uncle. Ron was being careful but it was still funny to see, especially when Ron managed to pin Teddy down only to give him a tummy tickle that had the wolf howling and wiggling.

"Feel better?" Blaise asked, hand slipping over Harry's stomach.

"Yeah. We should hunt more often, we all enjoy it. Even if we don't kill anything and don't feed we should come out and hunt."

"Hmm. I prefer a different sort of hunt." Blaise purred, fingers dipping low.

"Yeah I know you do." Harry laughed and reached to touch Blaise below the belt. "Unfortunately you have to wait."

"AAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Teddy howled and leapt, tail wagging like mad as he pounced and jumped around the rocks and off the trees of the copse they were in.

"Maybe we should come our more often just so Teddy can play as a wolf. He's certainly entertaining."

* * *

"Harry."

The word was said quietly but even being at the other end of the house Harry heard it. Blaise was home. But the tone in Blaise's words wasn't ordinary.

Harry dropped the clothes he was putting away and raced down the stairs, ignoring Teddy's protests as Harry ran past him. Running into the hall and coming to an abrupt halt, skidding slightly in his socks, Harry stared at Blaise who stood stock still with frown etched on his skin.

"Blaise?"

"I have received notification from my maker. He will be in London within a day. He asked that I meet him."

"So are you going to?" Harry queried, not able to make a guess from Blaise's body language or expression.

"Yes. If only to find out why he is back in London." Blaise's answer was succinct, showing he had made up his mind. Harry nodded and felt some tension fade away.

"Okay then. Where are you going to meet him? Here?"

"No." The word was sharp and cold, Blaise's eyes narrowed a little. Harry frowned, what was so wrong with his question? "I don't want him to meet you again, and I don't want him to meet Teddy. I will meet him at my estates."

Ah so Blaise was either keeping them safe, or hiding them for some other reason.

"We can look after ourselves you know." Harry ventured and Blaise shrugged his shoulders dismissively and waved a hand through the air gesturing that the conversation was over.

"I know. Demetri will not be travelling alone, however, and I do not trust that he will not bring the leaders of the Volturi to our meeting. I want you safe and out of the way."

And that was the end of that. Harry didn't even bother to point out that the Volturi could not touch him. That was obvious, given that he was a magical vampire and not a muggle one. There was no point in arguing though, because not only had Blaise dismissed the conversation now but Harry didn't particularly want to meet Demetri again.

"I'd better go finish tidying up then, unless there was something else?"

"Ron and Hermione are babysitting tonight. I'm taking you out. It's my Birthday. I've booked a restaurant for eight."

The arrogant statement left no room for disagreement and the slanted crimson eyes stared at Harry patiently as if expecting one.

"A little warning next time? I was preparing dinner."

"Freeze it." Harry clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.

"Freeze steaks?" Harry shook his head. "I hope Teddy's hungry. And your Birthday isn't for another three days."

"So? It's my Birthday week." Blaise stepped closer and rubbed his lips across Harry's cheek. "And I am worth celebrating for days."

"Eww! You aren't going to start snogging are you?!"

Harry huffed. "Teddy! What have I told you before?!"

"Not to interrupt! But I heard my name and when I came down you were snogging." The child protested, eyes poisonous green and hair a shocking red colour to match his flaming cheeks.

"We were not snogging, and thanks to you now we can't. Clear off you toe rag!" Harry scolded as Blaise took a step back and moved through the house presumably towards his study. Teddy gave Harry a narrow eyed glare, transformed his features into a replica of Blaise's face and stomped back off upstairs. Harry groaned and rubbed his eyes.

Eight o'clock came and went and by ten o'clock Harry was full up with delicious five star quality food. Normally in five star restaurants they served small portions of things, and while that was still true because Blaise didn't eat anything Harry got to eat his portions too. Blaise had ordered all his favourites from when he was human; veal loin, crab with caviar, lobster with macaroni au gratin, exotic fruits, chocolate and vanilla ice cream…lots of foods. Harry was lucky his body wouldn't change from having gorged himself. Blaise had fed him each morsel lovingly and slowly, informing Harry to savour each bite, and stealing a kiss after several bites. Blaise couldn't eat, food tasted disgusting he said, but he got pleasure from tasting it off of Harry. And Harry would never refuse a kiss, not even when the whole of the restaurant looked their way because Blaise had declared that Harry was the best tasting thing in the house and Harry was nearly dying of embarrassment.

"You know, you made me eat the lobster last year as well." Harry whispered as he leaned his head against Blaise's shoulder as they walked down the street. Blaise had his arm around Harry's waist and kept a slow pace to enjoy their solitude. A street clock declared it to be ten forty and Harry had no plans to race home to Teddy, Ron and Hermione yet. In fact they were under instructions to not return before seven o'clock. So they probably wouldn't go back until six at the latest…or earliest, depending on your point of view.

"Hmm, probably." Blaise agreed calmly and raised one of Harry's hands to his mouth. In between pressing light kisses to Harry's finger tips there were the occasional bites to release blood, that Blaise's tongue happily swiped up. Harry moaned, the flicks and twists of Blaise's tongue against his fingers reminded him of far more erotic ways for that tongue to be used.

"Oooh don't. We are in the middle of the street." The kisses had been tantalising enough in the restaurant, but now those kisses and licks made it a slow steady seduction with hours long teasing foreplay.

"Then let's get off the street." Blaise murmured and Harry muttered a quick agreement. Anything, _anything_, if it meant stopping this delicious teasing.

"Where?" He reached out to slide his arm around Blaise's neck, stretching up to kiss his mate. Blaise opened happily for him; copper tasting tongue swiping through Harry's parted lips.

"Up." Blaise explained as they drew apart and with a flick of crimson eyes he drew Harry's attention to the flat rooftop of a nearby building.

"Okay." Harry pulled back, grasped Blaise's hand and took off at speed for the black iron fire escape. He scaled it quickly, taking no more than half a second to reach the top.

"Eager?" Blaise whispered when they were up there, lips and brushing over Harry's skin. Harry felt goose bumps prickle across his body as his skin's sensitivity heightened.

"Yes! You've been winding me up all night and now we have no Teddy or anyone else to interrupt us." Harry explained, drew his wand and set about casting a small ward to give them some privacy, or to stop any potential intrusions.

"Hmm, how we have suffered."

Harry wasn't sure if the words were sarcastic or not. He thought they were very true in fact. They had suffered. But he pushed aside his concerns over Blaise's honesty and pulled his mate into a kiss, hastily pulling at fabric to get it off them without ripping it off.

The city was dead, or so it seemed. They had climbed down from the roof top several hours after climbing up there and now walked back through the deserted streets. Harry had spied a clock that announced it was four o'clock in the morning. Too early for anybody but stragglers and homeless people to be out. It was a week day so they hadn't passed by any muggle raves and the part of London they were walking through was more of a residential area for families than areas with single people pleasure seeking. They passed a few street crawlers but nobody else.

They were beginning to walk down towards Grimmauld place when Blaise froze. There was a sound, very faint to Harry's ears but it was enough to make Harry's instincts rise up to the occasion. Running footsteps. Running fast but not supernaturally fast. The sound of feet landing. Somebody grunted. Something impacted, a small grumble of what sounded like thunder only it was light enough and quick enough that any mortal would have missed it.

Then a voice. There was definitely a voice.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. It sounded foreign." Blaise answered, face a study of concentration. Harry tilted his head slightly trying to pinpoint the sound and make out the words.

It was foreign, some sort of rushed group of syllables with so much stress on quickly jabbered words Harry got the distinct impression whoever was speaking was trying to plead.

Then Harry heard another voice, this one commanding.

"Alec." The word was a warning and a command all rolled into one. It was the voice a parent would use to a child, to scold them and bring them into line all without sounding nasty about it. It was the tone Harry often used on Teddy when reminding him to be polite.

"I would never go against you!" That voice was the one who had spoken before, the foreign language putting a lilt onto the English words. Harry felt his heart rate increase slightly, adrenaline sparking through him.

"Blaise?!" Harry asked, making a determined step forwards in the direction of that distressed statement. Whatever was going on didn't sound good and Harry was going to stop it if he could!

"Of course not, my dear Toshiro." Those words were silky smooth but as poisonous as a viper. Harry started to run, immortal speed boosting him forwards. Then hands grabbed him around the waist and he was yanked upwards as Blaise jumped with him high up onto a roof top.

"If we go we stay out of sight." Blaise growled, eyes glowing and high cheekbones adding to the veracity of that statement. Harry shook his head.

"Staying out of sight is your speciality, not mine!" He muttered referring to Blaise's vampiric ability to stay unnoticeable even in plain sight. Apparently some vampires had gifts that were taken from their human form but enhanced. Blaise was always good at being there but not being seen or noticed through his human life, as a vampire that became even more potent. The ability to blend in, become part of the furniture…unless Harry was around. Harry always saw Blaise.

Harry ran forwards easily making the leap between buildings as he crossed the metres separating him from whoever was talking. Just as Harry made to jump another building a hand landed across his mouth as Blaise's arm yanked him back.

Harry glared over his shoulder at his mate who gave a pointed look into the alley below.

"Oh." Harry mouthed silently and gave Blaise his quickest sheepish and apologetic look.

There in the alley below were nine people. Except they weren't people. Harry recognised them from pictures, paintings and from his own past. Demetri was there, looming around the edges of a group dressed fully in black with the gleaming necklace of a V in gold and rubies gleaming from his neck. The necklace that told of his association with the Volturi. There was a man Harry didn't recognised, two vampires who were barely in their mid-teens and three elegantly dressed vampires that Harry knew from the pictures and paintings wizards had of the Volturi. Aro, Caius and Marcus all crowded around a Japanese vampire who knelt on the floor. Aro had his hands clasped around one of the Japanese man's hands, an eerie look plastered on his face.

"It seems Carlisle is still expecting you." Aro muttered, the words sliding through barely moving lips as he looked off to the side. Then Aro released the hand and, with a strange smile, placed one of his hands soothingly on the Japanese vampire's head. Then he turned and glided away. Demetri and the other vampire rushed forwards grasping the Japanese vampire firmly as the three leaders of the Volturi meandered away.

"It seems Carlisle is ensuring his own destruction." Caius muttered happily as they turned their backs on the Japanese vampire. He had a strange smile on his face, a satisfied one like he was enjoying the idea of destruction. Harry didn't like him any more for it.

"Ah. Sad, isn't it?" Aro smiled.

And just like that Demetri and the other vampire pulled the limbs from the Japanese Vampire. Harry lurched forwards but it was too late and Blaise held him steadfast. The Japanese vampire was dead and as Demetri dropped a lit match the onto the remains of the body it burned to ash within seconds. Aro, Caius, Marcus, Demetri, and the three other vampires walked away, blinking from sight.

And Blaise released Harry.

"What did you stop me for?! They just killed him! And for no other reason that 'Carlisle is still expecting' him!" Harry snarled, twisting to glare angrily at his mate. And to think he had been so blissful only moments before hand.

Unabashed Blaise looked down into the alley way. "We do not know that being expected by Carlisle isn't a crime. Perhaps they were righty to…"

"Nobody is right to kill another just like that!" Harry snarled and Blaise shrugged uncaringly. How did Harry get stuck with such a stoic mate?! Such and unfeeling, uncaring creature.

"I will find out tomorrow when I meet Demetri. We cannot just act without knowledge Harry, you know this. Especially not in matters that do not concern us, like those of the muggle vampires."

Blaise waved that damnable hand through the air, dismissing the conversation and Hary let out a growl of barely restrained anger.

"We are going to find out what that was about. I want to know who Carlisle is. I want to know what's so terrible about him that it means another vampire has to be killed. And I want to know what laws the Volturi have over killing another vampire."

"I will do my best tomorrow."

* * *

"Blaise is back!" Ron announced the next evening. Harry nodded and set aside the spell book he was reading.

"I was looking for you." Blaise stared from his position in the doorway over to Ron who sat forwards and clasped his hands before him.

"Me? Why?"

Blaise licked his lips and sat down next to Harry, sliding an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Ive spoken with Demetri."

How very forthcoming. Harry restrained the urge to roll his eyes and chide Blaise for stating the obvious. He had, after all, gone out especially to see Demetri.

"And?"

"It turns out that Carlisle is a vampire called Carlisle Cullen. He is the leader of the Olympic coven who feed only off of animal blood. It seems that a member of Cullen's coven made an immortal child. The Volturi are on the move gathering their army ready to march and oppose the Cullen's who have been doing the same." Blaise informed them.

"An immortal child?! They made a child into a vampire?!" Hermione asked outraged.

"That's why I wanted to see Ron." Blaise muttered and burning eyes turned to one of Harry's oldest friends. The orange haired man stared back with eyes the same colour as his hair, bright and flaming.

"Me?"

"Can you locate them? I could not work out where the Cullen Coven are from listening to the Volturi talk, however from my impressions this isn't the first time the Cullen's have broken Volturi laws. If they have made an immortal child then the child needs to be destroyed as soon as possible."

"I agree." Hermione blurted. "I read all about the horrors of immortal children. They are angelic and innocent looking but one tiny upset or a tantrum destroyed a whole town. You've heard of the kingdom of Mu haven't you?"

"No." Harry answered honestly and Hermione nodded with satisfaction.

"Exactly. It used to be a Kingdom until a vampire child lost its toy and killed every single person in the kingdom. The whole area had to be burned when the child and the vampires responsible for making the child were slaughtered in punishment."

"Anyway, can you find them?"

"Any more information other than the name Carlisle Cullen?" Ron asked, settling himself in his chair to concentrate.

"Not really." Blaise shook his head. "They threw a few other names around but mostly it was about the Cullen's, a family that go by that name."

"I'll have a look. Give me a minute."

So they waited in silence as Ron concentrated, eyes closed and face blanked of emotion except for the frowning of his eyebrows as he concentrated.

Blaise had the gift of becoming unnoticeable when he became a vampire. Hermione's intellect was enhanced, her immortality adding to her biggest talent as a mortal. Ron's talent was to find people. They had surmised it was because, even when he fell out with his friends, he always thought about them and had always been able to find his way back to them. As a vampire he only needed to think about them to know where they were and how they were. As time went on Ron found he could do that about other people he had met and, sometimes, people he hadn't met but needed to find.

Harry's talent was what it had always been, his affinity with Death. It wasn't a pleasant skill to have, and one Harry had only rarely used. The only time to date he had used his ability on a person was when Andromeda Tonks was dying painfully and wretchedly, begging for the pain to end because the disease she had was making her organs burn and die within her. Then Harry had called on his gift, ending her life peacefully and swiftly. She passed from life as easily as a breath passed in the wind. There one second and the next she was gone.

"Um…there are a lot of trees…ah okay…big glass house in a forest…lots of people and…" Ron spoke, eyes flicking behind closed eyelids. "Carlisle is fine, a very calm vampire from the looks of things and – oh! Okay. There's a child…a child…but…what?!"

"What is it?" Hermione asked, hands twitching as they tried to reach out to Ron but knowing she shouldn't touch.

"The child's called Renesmee…she's actually…she's…she's biologically the daughter of two of the people in Carlisle's coven." Ron's eyes opened as he fixed each of them with a confused stare before landing on Hermione and expecting an answer. "Can vampires have kids?"

"No! They're infertile." Hermione blurted.

"But…but the kid looks exactly like that Edward and Bella and all anyone in that house could go on about is that Renesmee is growing up too fast. I saw Carlisle writing in a diary about how the girl was only a few months old and already looked like a seven year old and could jump Merlin knows how many feet in the air. Thy ewer all concerned with how long they were going to have with the kid."

"But…! Oh!" Hermione gasped. "Oh no! What if…you said biologically she was the daughter of some of the other vampires?"

"Yes."

"Well Vampires can't have children but a vampire and a human can! What if the child was born not made? Then she could biologically be two of the vampire's children because the only way to survive the birth of a vampire child is to be made into a vampire. I read about it once, a long time ago, and dismissed it as fanciful nonsense but actually I suppose it makes sense. Because it's only the female vampires who are infertile because chances are they weren't turned into vampires during the time when they were fertile and actually the act of becoming a vampire causes menstruation during change so that eliminates the female's prospects of birthing. However the male is always fertile unless, biologically, there was something wrong as a mortal. So it is actually possible for a male vampire to reproduce with a female mortal…assuming anybody is stupid enough to want to have intercourse with a being who could tear them into pieces just by touching them."

"Ron, did you pick up any other information?"

"Not really. I could see everyone was worried but had all decided to stand together and face the Volturi. The idea was that with enough witnesses to Renesmee being a born vampire that the Volturi would understand and leave it at that."

"Not with what we know about the Volturi." Harry grumbled.

"Yes but you are biased Harry." Hermione pointed out then straightened in her seat. "Well I think some more digging is required. I will stay and see what research I can do but I think the only way to know for sure is if you go to the Cullen's house Blaise."

"Blaise? Why Blaise?" Ron demanded, a sentiment that Blaise clearly echoed if the frown and turned up nose was any indication.

"Because Blaise can get away without being seen of course!"

It took a little more deciding but Blaise did go all the way to Forks, Washington only to return exactly one day later.

* * *

"Teddy are you all packed up?"

"YES!" Teddy yelled. A second later Teddy ran down the stairs carrying his backpack.

"Finally!" Blaise groaned and handed the boy his thick winter cloak, scarf and gloves.

"No! I don't need those! Uncle Harry said I could run as a wolf!" Teddy cried and turned pleading eyes on Harry.

"Yes I did say that, however I also said you couldn't do that until after we got to Forks."

"Stupid name for a town." Teddy grunted and snatched his cloak, scarf and gloves off Blaise who gave him a reproachful crimson start.

"It's in America so what did you expect?" Blaise's words held all the disdain that was humanly possible to contain using tone only. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Blaise don't be prejudice! After all who names a house 'Zabini Estate'? Very unoriginal." Harry quipped and Blaise scowled but thankfully refused to rise to the jibe. Harry pulled his cloak on and did the clasp up.

"You got your invisibility cloak on?" Blaise asked as Harry arranged the hood up over his head.

"Yes." Harry rolled his eyes, annoyed at the third time Blaise had repeated the question.

"Are we ready yet?!" Teddy demanded, holding out his backpack for Harry to put in his pocket with the extension charm on it.

"The portkey doesn't leave for another five minutes."

Those five minutes were torture. Teddy didn't stop going on about wanting to leave _now_ not in three minutes, or two minutes or one minute. He'd apparently been desperate to run as a wolf again and after Blaise came back to tell them that the child Renesmee was in fact a born vampire and was half mortal, as well as the fact that the Cullen's were friends with wolf shape shifters, Teddy just couldn't _wait_ to meet them all!

"I'll check in every four hours starting at twelve your time, but I will be watching this evening too." Ron pointed out.

"Don't forget to have written in your diary by then if there's anything urgent you need to tell us!"

"And Teddy you make sure you behave yourself when Blaise leaves because I have promised to tell him if you step out of line." Ron informed the boy who pouted a bit.

"Harry try to keep your temper and not show everybody we are magical. You have to keep the secret even though you are a vampire now."

The last minute instructions were just as annoying as Teddy's whining.

Eventually though the portkey activated and the world spun as they were whipped away from England and landed a few long seconds later in Vancouver Canada ready for Harry and Blaise to run them the rest of the way across the border into Forks Washington.

It took about thirty minutes all in all to get there, not bad considering the reduced speed because Harry was running without Blaise carrying him. Unnoticed they ran into the forest outside the Cullen's house and observed for a few long minutes. The lights were on inside, and vampires were milling around all over the place. There were wolves pacing and walking around outside too which had Teddy immediately fidgety. Harry shared a look with Blaise. It was now or never. Either way they were going to make an entrance that had most if not all the beings in the house focusing on them.

Blaise nodded, licked his lips and readjusted his grip on Teddy.

"Let's go then."

They leaped down to the ground ant watched as immediately the area around them became flooded with people and wolves.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!" A giant Native American man asked, muscles thrice the size of Blaise's fists bulging on his arms, shoulders and chest. He had a fierce expression and, judging by the look in his eyes, was seconds away from shifting.

"Calm down Jacob." A woman with long brown hair implored, her amber eyes betraying her vampire nature.

"Everybody calm down." A blonde vampire with a gentle voice said, holding his hands out to the side with his palms down. Amber eyes slowly turned to Harry and Blaise, eyes assessing, and a small frown appearing as he looked down at Teddy who was hiding half behind Harry now. "My name is Carlisle Cullen, might I know who you are?"

Blaise pushed down his hood, revealing his face. Harry followed suit as did Teddy. Some of the red eyed vampires gaped a little, then their noses twitched and crinkled with disgust as they obviously caught the smell of Teddy's wolf. Harry and Blaise had known they would. They personally didn't smell Teddy, there were charms they used so they didn't get offended by the child's mere presence, but Harry knew none of those vampires could use spells like that so they got the full smell.

"My name is Blaise Zabini. We heard of your little…issue." Blaise said, having chosen sensitive words but his delivery was far from innocent. Some of the people picked up on it and obviously took offense. Blaise just raised his chin, his arrogance and assumed superiority seeping through. "We have come to offer you our help."

"Great!" Jacob groaned. "Another blood sucker."

Harry couldn't help the quirk of his lips at the words. The man's humour matching his. Teddy giggled.

"You've brought a child."

"Yes. My mate's godson is our ward; we raise him as our own. We could not come without him." Blaise offered the barest bit of truth there but it had Carlisle nodding.

"I see you are a human blood drinker." He observed. "Know that we have a treaty with the Quilette tribes that we do not kill and feed of any humans within their territory. If you stay here you agree to abide by the rules of the treaty."

And there was the crux of the matter really. Harry looked up at Blaise who gazed back evenly.

"I will not be staying. Only my mate and his godson shall stay. I have business elsewhere." And Blaise did, he had to go back and shadow the Volturi. He was the only one who could safely do it. With Blaise with the Volturi, Harry with the Cullen's and Ron and Hermione ready to take a portkey to either of their sides they were ready for whatever came.

"Oh." Carlisle looked confused.

"I will stay and offer my services to you." Harry offered. "Blaise has to continue with his work, the notice was too short for him to leave it. We stand with you though; we hope our position is clear on that matter."

"Okay, but you do know what we are standing against. We have been accused of…" Carlisle began.

"Yes, we know. We also know the child was born, not made. That is why we have come. If it had been any different our views would be significantly altered."

"Yet you come here and do not demand proof?"

"We have proof. Just not through your usual methods." Blaise drawled carelessly. Judging by the frowns the others were confused so Harry thought he should elaborate.

"One of our friends has an ability that let him check the truth for us, form a distance. When we heard of your difficulties we used him to check, and now we are here. Our friends will come soon, but business keeps them away too. Since I am the only one unemployed I am all you get for now."

"And me!" Teddy chirped.

"You brought a child with you. Why?!"

"He is my godson." Harry said. "I take care of him."

"A vampire taking care of a human child?"

"Teddy is family. But if you do not want us here…"

"No, that is not what we mean." Carlisle's tone was placating and gentle. "It's just, with what we are up against, the child will be put in danger."

"Not at all. Should this come to a fight Teddy will be sent away somewhere safe." Harry offered. "And I shall assist you in whatever battle come, on that you have my word."

"Well then, welcome friend."

"Please, come in." The woman next to Carlisle said warmly with a smile to match her voice. Harry smiled, instantly charmed by her. He stepped forwards ushering Teddy forwards but a strong cold hand stopped him.

"Blaise?" Harry asked, noticing that the cocoa coloured skin on the hand belonged to his mate. Blaise wasn't changing his mind was he? A glance over his shoulders allowed Harry to see the serious scowl on his mate's face as he glared at Carlisle. What? What was the matter?

"I am leaving my mate with you." Blaise growled out and Carlisle straightened up looking cautious.

"Yes…" The prod was gentle, empathetic, but an invitation for Blaise to carry on. Blaise's jaw clenched.

"Do you understand what that means? I am entrusting my mate and our ward to your care, Carlisle Cullen, and to the care of your coven. If something happens to them while in your care…" Blaise let the treat hand there in the air, unsaid but clearly heard.

Carlisle nodded solemnly.

"We shall take care of them."

"Good." Blaise nodded. "Teddy? Behave. Harry?"

"Mm?" Harry queried giving Blaise an unimpressed look. Blaise scoffed and pulled Harry back to him, planting a brief kiss on Harry's lips.

"Behave."

And with that Blaise disappeared. Harry shook his head. Behave indeed! He was not a child.

"Please, come in." Carlisle repeated and Harry walked forwards allowing Carlisle to lead him to the front door. "I'm sorry but we did not catch your names."

"I am Harry, this is Teddy."

"Hi!" Teddy greeted, giving a wave that brought a smile to the face of the woman who walked next to Carlisle.

"I am Carlisle, this is my wife Esme. I shall introduce you to everyone inside. Please…" Carlisle held the door open for Harry.

"Uncle Harry! Can I go and play now?!" Teddy asked, yanking on Harry's sleeve before he had a chance to enter the house. Teddy pointed over to the trees and all but vibrated on the spot.

"Is it safe for him to go?"

"As safe as it can be yes. Our friends patrol the land keeping it as safe as possible but I cannot guarantee it."

"Oh no, that's okay. Believe me. Teddy will be okay." Harry laughed and held his hand out for Teddy's cloak. "Alright Ted, go ahead."

Teddy whooped, making a few vampires cringe, and whipped off his cloak. He ran down the steps and jumped off the last one…

…landing on the driveway as a wolf. Four paws pounding on the tarmac Teddy dived forwards into the forest with a happy yip.

"Oh my gosh!"

"He's a…"

Harry didn't know who spoke, there were so many people making exclamations about Teddy's transformation that Harry could only bring himself to laugh. Jacob, the angry Indian man from earlier, glared at him.

"He can turn into a wolf?"

"Yes. Just like you can. He started changing when he came to live with me at the age of five. Hopefully while we are here he can learn something from your tribe and not feel like the odd one out at home."

"Why did you not say so before?" Carlisle asked, not really accusing but with an air of disgruntlement.

"When? I just got here." Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"I think you have a lot of explaining to do." This time it was a copper haired man with amber eyes who stepped forwards and glared at Harry.

"I probably do. But then again, so do you."

"Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"I don't know. I can barely make out his thoughts. They are muffled, like something's blocking it."

"What, like me?" A brunette asked, sliding her arm into Edward's. Edward shook his head, pursing his lips.

"No, like listening through water. Yours just aren't there."

Harry blinked. "Thoughts? You can read thoughts?"

"Yes. But yours are muffled. Why?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. So Snape had managed to teach him something after all!

"If I knew why and how then I would be far better at controlling it. Believe me. It must just be one of my quirks."

"Oh? Like why your eyes are green and yet you look like a vampire?" The woman asked.

"And smell like one." Jacob commented.

"I really don't know why my eyes look like this. I feed on animal blood, just like my friends."

"But not like your mate."

Ah. Harry shook his head. "Blaise drinks animal blood too…but he has a more varied diet on the side."

"Please, let us go inside and sit down to talk. Harry?" Carlisle beckoned and the interrogation paused for now and Harry was ushered upstairs where they bombarded him with questions once again.

Harry answered as best he could. He didn't let on about his gifts exactly but hinted that should it come to a fight he would fight with them. He told them his friends would be joining him when they could and that they would stand on the Cullen's side. He explained that Blaise had a job to do but refused to go into any more details. He also explained that Teddy had the ability to change different things on his body, a shape changer, except that he could transform into a wolf during moments of high emotion or by conscious decision.

Jacob explained how his tribe came to turn into wolves. Harry found the most fascinating part of that history was the fact that Jacob's last name was Black. Since the Black family was known for its metamorphmagus ability Harry could only assume that a relative of Jacob's, some distant ancestor, was a member of the Black household with the ability to change his appearance. Then, centuries later with many generations passing by the gift evolved, merging with the natural magic the Native Indians could tap into, and suddenly the tribe could become wolves. Add to that the fact that the tribe members only began turning when vampires came into contact, just like Teddy only started morphing into a wolf when he lived with Harry permanently, Harry had a few more explanations and theories on everything. Hermione would have a field day.

"Daddy?" The voice was quiet, soft and melodic. Harry's eyes snapped up and he saw the most angelic, perfect looking little girl standing at the entrance to the room. Her dark brown eyes were set in porcelain skin, perfectly unmarred and smooth with a strange sort of glow to it far beyond the natural healthy glow some people had. Her dark brown, copper tinged hair flowed down her sides stopping at her waist and she stood completely still, with that supernatural, vampiric statuesque stance that Harry knew this was the child that had caused so much concern.

"Renesmee this is Harry."

"Hello Harry." Renesmee said and started to walk forwards towards him. Harry smiled slightly but as she started to raise her hand as she crossed the remaining distance Harry shook his head.

"Hello Renesmee. I do not need you to prove you are who they say you are. It is, however, very nice to meet you." Harry held out his hand, offering the girl a hand shake. Renesmee checked with Edward, the woman called Bella, and Jacob before she accepted Harry's hand and shook it. Harry smiled again. "For what it's worth you have mine and my friends' protection."

"Thank you." She said politely then moved to sit in Bella's lap. It was clear to see the family resemblance. Renesmee looked the perfect mixture of Bella and Edward. Bella's face shape, Edwards features, Edward's hair and Bella's radiance.

"Congratulations, you have a beautiful daughter."

"Thank you." Bella smiled, hugging her daughter to her. "She's…"

"UNCLE HARRY!" Even Harry winced that time as Teddy yelled out.

"In here." HE said and gave everyone an apologetic look. There was the pounding of feet on wooden floors then Teddy bounded into the room red cheeked, sweating and looking very confused.

"Uncle Harry! I just ran really, really, really far and then bumped into this woman who was going to tell me off then she just fell over, looked at me and started crying. When I ran away she changed into a wolf and came with me! We played lots and she was faster than me but I don't mind because one day I'm going to be faster than her but when I turned back into me she changed back too and started crying again! I don't know why she's upset but she was following me here so do you think you could ask her for me?"

"You did what…?"

"I said, I bumped into this woman who…oh, there she is! That's the woman. She's still crying look Uncle Harry. I didn't mean to bump into her, it was an accident." Harry glanced up and there was indeed a woman or rather a young woman. She was obviously of Native American descent if her features and colouring was anything to go by. Her brown eyes were tinged red, river like tear trails ran down her copper cheeks and her lips wobbled slightly as she attempted to smile.

"Leah?" Jacob asked, rising from his chair and approaching her. She raised her hand and shook her head.

"I'm okay Jacob." She placated, and brown eyes flicked to Teddy who flicked his attention anxiously between Leah and Harry, his hair changing between golden brown and black, his skin flickering between his usual paler colourings and the same copper brown as Leah's.

"Uncle Harry? Why was she crying?"

"Uh…" Harry felt stupid for not having an answer. He glanced at the woman who wiped her cheeks which blossomed red with embarrassment. She straightened her spine and squared her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for crying." She said to Teddy and licked her lips before pressing them together to stop them from wobbling.

"Are you okay now?" Teddy asked tentatively and Leah nodded.

"Yes. I'm fine. Promise."

"Good. Will you be my friend now then?" Leah gave a wet laugh and nodded her head quickly.

"Yes. Anything you want."

"Oh my god…" Edward mumbled and Harry shot him a sharp look, but he was looking between Leah and Teddy.

"Good. I'm Teddy. What's your name?"

"Leah."

"Pretty! Come on, I want to play." Teddy declared, ran forwards and grabbed Leah's hand all but dragging her back out the door. "Bye Uncle Harry."

"Bye Teddy." Harry shook his head in bemusement. Teddy had obviously had far too much sugar earlier, he was positively hyper. Unless it was having the freedom to run around as a wolf again. Teddy always did get a little excitable when he played as a wolf.

"Edward?"

"What do you know?"

"Edward?"

Harry turned his attention back to the vampire at the end of the sofa. The man was looking a little stunned but he shook it off as people continued to question him and instead turned to Jacob.

"Leah imprinted."

"What?!" Jacob blurted and snapped his head back round to the door. Then Jacob took off running towards the door, transforming mid run into a gigantic wolf.

"Leah imprinted? On who?" Asked another Native American man, somebody called Seth apparently.

"On Teddy."

Now that caught Harry's attention. He sat bolt upright and stared at Edward, demanding him to explain.

"What about Teddy?"

"In the Quileute tribe they find people called imprints who are sort of like their soul mates and when they imprint that person becomes their sole purpose for being, almost. It's like everything they ever were, everything they are, and everything they will become is shaped because of the person they are going to be with. They are perfect for each other. Jacob here imprinted on Renesmee, which means he will put his life on the line to take care of her and he will be whatever she needs him to be. Leah…Leah just imprinted on Teddy."

* * *

The days were spent trying to help Bella strengthen her 'shield' ability just in case everybody needed it to help them defend against the Volturi. Harry learned a lot about the vampire coven in his time with the Cullen's. He learned that the young vampires from the alley way who looked barely into their mid-teens were in fact twins called Alec and Jane who had the most powerful offensive weapons on the Volturi guard. In fact the Volturi seemed to have a lot of offensive gifts because Aro was something of a collector.

On the other hand Carlisle's friends didn't have very offensive gifts. Their most offensive one was Kate's ability to shock, but that wasn't a long distance weapon so it wasn't that helpful. There was Benjamin who could control the elements but that wasn't incredibly helpful because the elements couldn't distinguish between friend of foe, they just dealt damage to everything.

Most of the other skills in the group were defensive; reading minds, shielding, projecting, hallucinations, visualising outcomes and projecting them, sense lies…Emmett had extra strength but that wasn't much more than an enhanced vampiric ability.

It looked like it would be down to Harry if it came to a fight…well, Harry, Blaise, Ron and Hermione anyway. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that. Hopefully he wouldn't have to use his affinity for death, but he always had his magic.

"Harry?" The words were tentative, soft. Harry turned from where he was watching over Teddy's sleeping form to the carefully approaching form of Leah. She had been very wary of him since he learned she was Teddy's soul mate. Harry didn't know why really, he was fine with it if a little confused and upset that neither of them had a choice in the matter. Perhaps it was because he was a vampire.

"Hello Leah."

"Hi. Um…may I sit with you?" She asked and indicated to the bed where Teddy lay. Harry nodded and she slid onto the mattress, sitting rigidly and looking very uncomfortable.

"You know," Harry began, hoping to engage the woman, "I don't really mind the whole 'imprint' thing. I can't say I'm glad it's you, because I'm not. You had no choice and I'm sorry that you are stuck with fate's decision. But I am very glad that Teddy has somebody else looking out for him."

"Yeah?" She asked, hope colouring her words and lighting her expression.

"Yeah." Harry smiled and ran a hand through the boy's hair. "Teddy was born during uncertain times and his parents were murdered only months after his birth. I was still human at the time and only seventeen. He was looked after by his grandmother. Then he really only had me, Ron and Hermione, and Ron's family. Then of course I found Blaise and he had Blaise too. His grandmother died when he was very little and he came to live with me and turned into a wolf. I know he didn't always show it but he felt very isolated. He couldn't play with Ron's family because he was too strong and he might change into a wolf at any moment. So he has been stuck with us vampires for company, feeling like a goose among chickens. He never said he was unhappy but he must have been lonely, it is isolating being different."

"Yes it is."

"You understand that, I've been told you are the only female wolf in the packs."

"Yes."

"Good. Then you can empathise with Teddy. He is special Leah. Not just because he is my ward and I love him. Soon I will tell you about the rest of his heritage but for now you need only know one thing."

"What?" She asked; brown eyes sharp and keen.

"Teddy deserves nothing short of spectacular. And you, the only female in the Quileute tribe capable of making the change, the only wolf to outrun her Alpha, and one of the prettiest people I know, are spectacular."

Leah sniffed then gave him a wobbling smile as tears threatened to break through her touch exterior. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome."

"He is spectacular. He's amazing!" She blurted. "I waited…I have wanted an imprint so much since…well…I had a boyfriend but he imprinted on someone and left me to be with them. I understood but…but I had to see him all the time and seeing him so happy just…it broke my heart over and over again. But seeing Teddy…just meeting him whipped away all that and I don't feel so hurt all the time, so raw. Now I just feel happy, and it's not just because Teddy's around and because he's my imprint. Teddy is happy and bright and lively and…and he makes me smile, he cheers me up and makes me feel more like me just by being around him. He's…he's just amazing."

"Good. I'm glad you think so." Harry grinned and stood up. He walked over to the young woman who watched him with raw eyes. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "Watch over him for me? I'm going to see if I can help the others."

"You trust me to…"

"Of course. You are family now Leah. I'll be back in a bit."

Harry walked out and through the house. There were quiet voices muttering frantically in one of the rooms so Harry followed the noise there and discovered most of the Cullen coven with friends gathered around.

"Ah Harry, there have been some developments. It seems Alistair has left us."

"Coward!" Somebody spat.

"Now, now, it was his choice. We only asked you to come as witnesses but the tide is turning and while I know you agreed to stand and fight should the time come that is your decision. I will respect that, but in return I will respect Alistair's decision to leave." Carlisle was ever the peace keeper.

"We are one more man down against an army! What chance do we have now?!" One of the members of the Egyptian coven exclaimed.

"Don't let Alistair's cowardice put you off."

"We will still fight for Renesmee! We are not afraid."

The declarations of all the different members carried on until Carlisle put his hands up in a silent beg for quiet.

"I thank you on behalf of my family for the loyalty you have shown me. I fear our time is running short however. Our sources indicate the Volturi will be here when the snow falls. Weather reports indicate that will be at the end of the week. If any of your decisions change in that time I will understand, but I will defend my family on the battle ground should I need to."

* * *

It was two days after that Ron and Hermione arrived and they came bearing gifts; two sleeping big cats.

"That was very…thoughtful." Rosalie commented reluctantly as she stepped forward to take one of the cats from Ron.

"Hermione told me it was polite to come bearing gifts and, well, I had fun tracking them down. Careful though, I don't know how long they are going to sleep for." Ron joked which made Harry laugh.

"You had a good hunt then!" He joked and Ron all but threw the other cat to the floor in his haste to rush forwards and clasp Harry in a manly hug.

"Harry! It's great to see you. Seriously, I can't remember the last time we spent so long apart. It was really weird not having you around. And I can tell you, Blaise is miserable without you…although his face usually looks like that so I couldn't really tell."

"Missed you too mate."

"Where's the little wolf cub?"

"Playing with Leah." Harry said indicating to the forest outside. Ron nodded.

"Oh if only Blaise was here, think of the opportunities you would have had while Teddy was distracted like that!" Harry did not appreciate Ron's teasing but judging by the smirk on those pale lips Ron knew he was hitting home.

"Hey, don't mock me! You now have to spend the next few weeks in a crowded house. 'd like to see you fit in any time alone with Hermione while you stay here."

"Urgh!" Ron groaned and smacked his hand on his leg. "Oi! Hermione! Get your things we're leaving."

"What?! Why?!" Hermione asked, pulling from her conversation with Tanya.

"Because we aren't going to get any privacy here."

"Oh Ronald! Don't be ridiculous!" Hermione chided. Emmett laughed and clapped Ron on the shoulder.

"Ah newlyweds eh?"

"Well, not wedded but otherwise yeah." Ron grinned and accepted the hand shake Emmett offered. "Ron Weasley."

"Emmett Cullen. You know, when Rose and I first mated we were inseparable. We had a house built away from the rest of the family because we needed as much privacy as we could get."

"Yeah I can imagine. Man, if only I had that kind of stamina when I was human."

"I know!" Emmett chortled then he and Ron compared notes on how they found their mates. Emmett seemed shocked that Ron and Hermione were together as humans and that translated into being vampires as being mates. Ron was impressed that Emmett had taken on a bear as a human and how Emmett described Rosalie as his angel who carried him to God. Ron didn't understand the reference completely but he got the idea.

* * *

The days drifted by with painful slowness. Normally Harry would have slept some of the time away but he was keeping up appearances and therefore couldn't. Just like he was keeping up appearances and went on hunts to drink animal blood. He couldn't bring himself to admit to being different yet, and Ron and Hermione agreed with him.

"Oh hey Harry?" Ron interrupted Harry's nature watching. There wasn't much to watch really besides the wolves because all the predators in the area scarred everything away.

"Yeah?"

"Blaise will be back this evening. At least he's on his way now he's just got a rather long way to travel since he's decided to go across Russia and over the Bering land bridge. Why he's chosing to use that I don't know. But there you have it."

"Thanks Ron." Harry grinned. Yes! Blaise was coming back.

Harry turned from the window and walked sedately through the house. He noticed Teddy playing chess with Leah, choosing to stay in out of the freezing rain for now. Rensemee was practising the piano with Edward. Further through the house different vampires milled around doing different things; some reading, some writing, one played guitar. Emmett was busy playing a computer game with one of the nomads. Rosalie was helping Esme cook up a feast for the wolves, apparently as humans they had rapid metabolisms.

Then Harry found Carlisle in his study.

"Carlisle?"

"Harry! Do come in." Carlisle invited with that charming smile of his.

"Thanks. Listen, Blaise is coming back today Ron says. Apparently he will be here this evening. I know that's rather vague but I wanted to let you know just in case he suddenly appears."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. How are you?"

"I'm fine thanks. Yourself?"

"As well as can be expected." The coven leader said with a grim smile.

Harry felt he should offer up some more reassurances but didn't know exactly what to say. It was one thing to be looked up to in the wizarding world, and to the be the most powerful person in the room. But somehow Carlisle just radiated 'father figure' and Harry couldn't help but be equally intimidated, humbled and content with him. He didn't know what to say to reassure the man.

"It will be okay." He said and Carlisle nodded half-heartedly. Harry frowned. "No. It really will be okay."

"Thank you for your confidence Harry."

"You don't believe me." Harry shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "You know, wars have been won with worse odds. And you have more power on your side than you know. Trust me."

"Is there something you want to tell me Harry?" Carlisle asked and Harry sighed.

"Yes. But I won't say it yet. Not yet. Hopefully you won't ever need to know but I will tell you. Just know that I won't let anything happen to you or your family."

"Thank you Harry. I appreciate that, and I appreciate your honesty."

"Okay then. I'll see you in a bit."

Harry left the study feeling frustrated. He bumped into Hermione on the way out and she offered him a hug and a sympathetic smile.

"Alright?"

"Yeah."

"No you're not. Don't lie. But anyway…" Hermione said changing the subject. "It's nice here isn't it?"

"Yeah. I don't know how I'll ever leave." Harry joked then sobered up a little. "I know I won't be able to get Teddy to leave."

"Well Ron and I were talking. Now obviously you have to talk to Blaise first but once all this is over, if the Cullen's will have us it might be nice to stick around."

"What? You want to leave England?"

"Yes! Well not entirely. We'd visit of course. It's just we do rather stick out like sore thumbs at home. It would be nice to fit in somewhere. Anyway, it's only if the Cullen's would have us. They might not, so it's a mote point really isn't it?! It was an idea to consider at any rate. And it would mean that Teddy gets to stay with Leah."

"Hermione, there's no point in considering something that's pretty much a certainty is there." Harry laughed and Hermione shook her head.

"Well no, but you never know what Blaise will say."

"I don't think Blaise has any attachments to places but asking him won't hurt."

"Good."

"Oh no. you know I hated the first British invasion and now you guys are talking about staying! I'm telling you right now that…"

"Oh do be quiet Garratt! You can pull all the self-righteous crap that you like and American supremacy nonsenses but the fact of the matter is all your ancestors are either British or French and…" Hermione began on a rant to the vampire Garratt who stared from his place with Kate by his side as Hermione spieled off a whole argument. When Hermione eventually finished Garratt argued back, using Hermione's age as a main reason why she didn't know half of what she spoke about. That, of course, was just a red flag to a bull.

Evening came and Harry stared out the window waiting impatiently for Blaise. Teddy had gone to bed ages ago, so had Renesmee with their respective imprints sleeping nearby to keep them safe but also get some decent sleep. Some vampires had gone out to hunt but most of the Cullen's stayed home. They seemed to be on knife edges too as time went on and Harry knew they were anticipating something from Blaise's arrival.

"Not long now." Ron said.

"Where is he?"

"In a forest." Ron shrugged. "How the hell should I know which one?! But I know he's close because he's a bit wound up."

"I would be too if I was away from Rosalie for so long."

"Emmett!"

"That too but it wasn't what I meant." Ron laughed, winking at Emmett who beamed cheekily back.

Emmett and Ron had formed a strong friendship in the short time Ron had been there. Emmett had taken great pleasure in teaching Ron how to play console games and Ron had taken great pleasure in beating a nearly hundred year old being at chess. He couldn't beat Edward but that was because, magical protection on his mind or not, Edward could pick up on Ron's next chess move.

"Harry. Blaise is hungry." Ron said. The statement made the whole room freeze. Harry felt the stillness in the air without needing to turn around to confirm it.

"Ah. Right." Harry muttered and a shiver went down his spine. He started tugging at the neck of his shirt, popping the top button and pushing it away from his neck. "You got any replenishers handy?"

"I do!" Hermione sang and pushed her hand into her small clutch bag, producing the small vial and throwing it over to Harry who caught it deftly.

"Still got the bag then."

"Yep." She smiled and Harry uncorked the vial and downed its contents feeling the effects almost instantly. He felt flushed, hot, and the vampires in the room were suddenly standing, staring with wide eyes and in some cases pained expressions.

"What was that?"

"Harry? What did you do?" Carlisle asked, voice maintaining its calm but something was bubbling under the surface. Harry felt bad for the man but he couldn't explain all now.

"There are many things you don't know Carlisle, especially about me. I will explain it later but for now I ask you to trust me. Remember what I said. I won't let anything happen to you or your family."

"I'll remember, but I've put a lot of trust in you Harry and I'm not being given many reasons to keep giving you that trust."

Harry gave the man a rueful smile. He understood, really he did. Harry had made it clear from the start that he had a lot of secrets and while the trust had been extended to Harry it was a tremulous bond. Harry felt a lot of guilt for keeping such secrets from a man, and indeed a family, he had come to admire and respect so much.

"Okay. Some things you will have to wait a little while longer for. But for now understand that when Blaise entrusted my care to you he didn't just entrust you with his mate and ward. He entrusted you with his food source."

"What?! You mean Teddy…?!" Bella squeaked.

"No." Harry interrupted calmly. Harry met Carlisle's eyes fully, straight on and tried to show the man as much honesty and sincerity as could be conveyed through a single look. "Me."

"You?" Carlisle asked.

"Harry, he's here." Ron announced and pointed out of the window.

There jogging to a halt was Blaise who stood outside the house looking up at the window. Harry felt his heart start to race. There was a gasp behind him. Heat flowed through his body, arousal spiked in his groin and his nerves stood up on end. Merlin, how long had it been?!

"Blaise!" Harry whispered, and even to him the sound was reverent. "Excuse me." He muttered to everyone in the room and raced down the stairs. His speed got him down and out of the house in split seconds and he threw himself into the arms of his mate.

Blaise caught him, holding him tightly and smothered his lips to Harry's, holding Harry's head into the kiss.

"Merlin I missed you!"

"Mmm." Blaise muttered back, diving forwards into another kiss, hands sweeping and gripping. Harry clutched back hard, arms clasped around Blaise's neck holding the man into the kiss. ~Blaise's tongue swept inside, dominating Harry's mouth momentarily before sweeping back and inviting Harry into the kiss. Hands brushed Harry's hair back then gripped it hard, yanking his head up.

"Ah." Harry gasped.

"You okay?" Blaise asked, his eyes searching furiously over Harry's face. Harry wasn't sure if he was asking if Harry was okay in general, okay to bite or just okay! Either way the answer was the same.

"Yes! Yes I'm okay." Harry cried and pulled Blaise's face closer. Blaise gave an audible groan, the sound low and gravelly like a desperate man trying to communicate his gratitude at finally being given something to eat.

"So hungry for you." Blaise murmured and lips closed over Harry's neck, kissing, licking and then…biting.

Pain shot through Harry, lightning fast sharpness followed by a deep ache that radiated through his neck and down his body. He was pulled hard against Blaise, body melding to his mates and anatomy brushing anatomy through layers of cloth. Arousal was already peaked in areas, Blaise giving an extra hard suck on Harry's lips only added to his lust and as Blaise ground Harry harder against him Harry knew it was only a matter of time.

Moaning, shutting his eyes and basking in sensation Harry let himself just feel. He gripped Blaise's hair and pressed back as much as he could. The action caused him to brush more directly against ridged flesh, sparks flying gloriously from the friction. He rubbed again. Blaise rubbed. They ground together and as Blaise gave a final hard suck Harry moaned as the inferno within him nearly exploded.

Blaise yanked his lips back, hand coming up to Harry's neck and the barest touch of hard wood pressed against his skin.

"Episkey." Blaise whispered and whatever pain there was left disappeared. Harry opened his eyes and met Blaise's shining crimson eyes, arousal and greed gleaming out from the vivid red.

"Blaise."

"You come with me next time." Blaise ordered. "I will never do that again without you."

"Good. I missed you too." Blaise nodded sharply then dove in for a deep kiss. Harry could taste his blood on Blaise's lips and moaned. Blaise slipped a hand between them, sliding it into Harry's trousers and grasped.

"Give it to me Harry." Harry's eyes rolled and he moaned again, pressing hard into the kiss and letting the pleasure sweep over him. Blaise pumped, the slid a thumb over the tip of Harry's arousal sending stars across Harry's vision. Blaise rubbed again, sending nerves into overdrive. A third time had pleasure erupting from him like a volcano and sharp teeth pressing down on Harry's lip, sucking hard.

It took a few moments for Harry's brain to stop soaring in pleasure and lust. Blaise's hand was gone, instead it was smoothing Harry's cheek, wand tip retreating after healing Harry's lip. Blaise was smiling, an expression that was barely more than a smirk with his lips, soft edges around his eyes and a gleam in his eyes that spoke more than simple words could of the depth of Blaise's emotions for Harry.

"Hmm." Blaise hummed, making Harry smile. Blaise still held him tightly. Harry could feel that Blaise was no longer suffering with an arousal, the softening flesh against him betraying Blaise's own satisfaction. From the lack of greed and only immense satisfaction in Blaise's eyes he was no longer hungry either. And that smile...that beautiful smile made Harry's own happiness double.

"I'm so glad to see you."

"Me too."

"I love you. I've got so much to tell you."

"Hmm. And we have so much to tell." Blaise agreed and those slanted eyes flicked to somewhere behind Harry. Harry sighed and leaned his head forwards, kissing Blaise softly. He savoured the feel of his mate against his lips. He had gone so long without a kiss that he wanted another, and another, and another.

"Mate, at least let the man come in." Ron called.

"Ron! Leave them alone!" Hermione scolded.

"No, he's right." Harry agreed grudgingly releasing his tight hold on Blaise.

Still keeping contact with his mate Harry walked besides him back towards the small group of people waiting on the steps outside the front door of the house. Harry nervously met Carlisle's eyes as they walked up the steps, every step closer feeling a little more oppressive than the last. There was no judgement in Carlisle's eyes, but somehow the cautiousness there hurt far worse.

"Carlisle? This is my mate Blaise. I know you've already met but…"

"It's fine Harry. It's nice to meet you again Blaise." Carlisle said and offered his hand. Blaise nodded and took the hand shake.

"Thank you for looking out for my mate."

"You are welcome. However, I believe you owe my family and I some explanations." Harry nodded.

"Indeed we do. Now I am certain you deserve them, Harry will be more than happy to confide in you." Harry did notice how Blaise made it clear that it was Harry who was going to share.

"Let's go into the lounge."

They made the distance between the front door in human time, walking at a moderately slow pace. Once they arrived in the lounge, however, nearly everybody had gathered. Jacob, looking rather sleepy still had obviously been summoned. Bella, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, Siobhan, Liam, Maggie, the four nomads, Garratt and the other Delani's, the Egyptian's and the two power hungry vampires, not to mention some other members of the packs.

"Harry?" Carlisle questioned as Harry settled himself on the sofa with Blaise flanking him on one side and Ron and Hermione on his other side.

"The truth of it starts in a tale far too long to tell now." Harry began. "I was a wizard. Then at seventeen I stopped aging, not something that should have happened. The healers can do a spell to find out your age and mine was stuck, unmoving. We, Ron, Hermione and I, discovered I had all these other nifty abilities like running or moving too fast, hearing really well and my sight improved. I had needed glasses all my life but then suddenly didn't need them anymore. We put it down to something that happened in the magical war when I was seventeen. Something happened there that made me immortal. We don't know what exactly and we don't know how but it happened. I met Blaise who claimed me as his mate almost immediately. Blaise was newly turned into a vampire and I had been part of the group that rescued him from where a witch was holding him and two others prisoner. We had a connection, instantaneously. I felt connected to him and he felt it back. We discovered that Blaise could drink my blood pretty early into the relationship. It was an accidental discovery but Blaise has fed off me since then and it's never harmed me in any way except for a bit of light headedness for a while afterwards. That's why before I feed him I usually take a blood replenishing potion."

Harry paused for a moment and looked to Blaise trying to read his mate's expression and search for clues as to what to say next.

"I turned Hermione and Ron after we discovered some vampires survived off of human blood." Blaise offered up. "Then we discovered that we, besides keeping our magic as vampires, had special abilities granted to us by the change."

"Harry already told you I can locate people. It started out small, just knowing where Harry and Hermione were, then if grew. Soon if I concentrated hard enough I could see that person, know how they were, if they were hurt, happy or upset. That kind of thing. It was how we found you guys, and how we knew Renesmee wasn't a vampire child."

"I have a superior intellect." Hermione informed them bluntly.

"I have the ability to blend in unseen and unnoticed. Which is the reason I have been gone for the last few weeks. I have been spying on the Volturi." Blaise offered and if they didn't have everyone's attention up until then they most certainly had it now.

"You were spying?"

"Yes." Blaise nodded. "Horrible bunch of opinionated beings with a misplaced sense of superiority."

"And? What did you uncover?!" Edward asked impatiently.

"That they have their minds so set on proving a point that they dismiss even the most obvious hints that their assumptions are wrong. Deluded, arrogant vampires. They should be taught a lesson." Blaise grouched, rubbing a hand over Harry's stomach. "They come with a strong army and minds stuck in idiocy. They will not be easily persuaded."

"I was afraid of that."

"It looks like we might be fighting after all then."

"They may yet see sense. They might be reasoned with."

"Their minds are made up. There is something of yours the Volturi want, this is just giving them the excuse, the spineless pathetic wastes of immortality."

"Alice. Aro wants Alice." Edward murmured, musing aloud.

"Of course. It's his typical power play. He is after Alice's gifts." Carlisle breathed.

"Who's Alice?" Harry asked. He hadn't met anyone by that name.

"Alice is one of my children, my coven. She and her mate Jasper left us months ago before this whole thing started. We did not know why, only now are we realising."

"What's so special about Alice?" Blaise asked none too gently.

"She possesses the ability to look into the future. Her visions are subjective and at any moment something could spark a change but it's an ability Aro has long coveted and desired."

"I could find her for you if you like." Ron offered, glancing from face to face.

"Yes!"

"Please do!"

"No! Don't! If we know where she is the Aro will read that information from our minds." Edward blurted out. "It's not worth the risk."

"So Aro can read minds too?" Hermione queried. "I thought no two gifts were the same."

"They aren't. Aro can only read memories through touching the person."

"Ah, so that is what he was doing in the alley!" Harry looked at Blaise with understanding. The Japanese vampire was killed because of what Aro saw in the man's mind.

"What alley?"

"It's not important." Harry dismissed.

"So do you want me to check on Alice or not? If you like I can just check if she's okay but not actually tell you where she is. That way you won't be able to give the information away to Aro."

"You will be in danger. Aro will see this offer in our heads and go after you for your ability." Carlisle's words were protective but Harry could see the deep desire in his eyes to know that this Alice was safe. The loving care of a father.

"Aro can't touch us. He cannot have us at all, we are magical Vampires and therefore we do not have to obey his laws. Now, am I looking or not?" Ron asked again and Carlisle nodded, the movement tiny but there as if Carlisle was trying not to agree. Ron closed his eyes immediately and leaned forwards. "Her name's Alice Cullen?"

"Yes. And Jasper Hale."

"Cool. Give me a minute."

"He can really find her?" Bella asked, hope colouring her voice and expression.

"Yes. Ron can find anyone." Hermione said proudly.

"That's quite the gift." Carlisle muttered, watching Ron with unmoving eyes.

They waited the rest of the time in silence. The Cullen's watched and waited for Ron to finish finding Alice and Jasper. The other vampires just waited patiently as if knowing they only had the part of the observer to play in this. Blaise ran his hand up and down Harry's arm, encouraging Harry to lean into him more, kissing the back of Harry's head occasionally. Harry enjoyed the touch, clasped his hands around Blaise's other hand, stroking the skin there as he waited.

"Got them." Ron eventually said and for beings that didn't breath there was a collective exhale of relief. "They're safe. They're travelling at the moment. Alice is a little stressed, Jasper is very protective and a little hungry but they are together and safe. You didn't want me to tell you where they were but I can tell you they aren't alone. Others are with them."

"Thank you! Thank you very much."

"You are welcome. It's like Harry said, we stand with you." Ron asserted the statement with his sincere expression and clear, concise pronunciation.

"Thank you." Carlisle said and moved to herd his family away. Esme easily moving next to him, sidling up to walk away.

"You needn't worry about not having anyone with offensive weapons on your side." Hermione explained, causing the family to pause in their movements and look back. "Wizards turned vampires keep all their magic. We still have ours. When we say we will stand with you, if it comes down to a fight we have a whole arsenal at our disposal and we will use it for your cause."

"Not to mention Harry's gift." Ron blurted and that made eyes turn to Harry.

"You have a gift?" Carlisle asked. "Besides being immortal but not being a vampire."

"Yes. Unfortunately I've never tested it against a vampire and, to be honest, I really don't want to ever have cause to use it." Harry muttered, shifting against Blaise to get more contact. Blaise sat up straighter and slid his arm tighter around Harry.

Carlisle raised one eyebrow but maintained a non-hostile, non-assertive stance. "Do you mind my asking what your gift is?"

"I have an affinity with death, always have and now I always will. I can call away life from a person with just a thought." Harry's declaration was met with stunned silence and he laughed trying to make light of it. The laugh sounded forced and brittle even to his own ears and he looked to Blaise for reassurance, not that the vampire gave him any. He just stared back with blazing red eyes. Harry looked down then dared to flick his eyes to Carlisle again. "So you see, when I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you or your family I meant it."

He kept his stare on Carlisle, imploring the vampire to believe him. Esme ran her hand up Carlisle's arm and Harry saw the woman give a small smile to her mate who returned it briefly before returning his stare to Harry. Esme slipped in front of Harry's eye line though and distracted him as she approached with a gently, motherly smile. She stepped close to Harry then knelt down, bringing her to a little below his eyelevel. She reached out and gently laid a hand against his cheek.

"Thank you Harry. It means more than you can know that you would be willing to do that for our family. We will never ask it of you, but your willingness proves your heart is in the right place."

* * *

They had a camp fire the next day, the day before the battle. Everybody gathered around it, talking in their small groups, the air filled with tension. Teddy was jabbering with Leah who had a pained look on her face as she listened with rapt attention. The poor girl had already told Harry that she would watch over Teddy through the night, wanting every last second with him before…even Harry's reassurances that nothing would happen didn't make her any more relaxed.

"Come on Renesmee, time for bed." Bella urged the small girl away from the fire and up to the small tent they had laid out.

"You too Teddy." Blaise grunted to Teddy who stopped mid-sentence to stare at Blaise and whine.

"Buuuuut! I'm not tired."

"Tough. Bed time." The tone was firm and Blaise's set jaw made it clear he wouldn't tolerate any arguments. Teddy clearly wanted to argue and was having a hard time biting it back.

"I want…" Teddy began and Harry felt, rather than saw, Blaise's expression darken. Teddy changed his tact, even looking at Harry pleadingly in the hope it would work. "Can I have a story please?"

"Teddy…" Blaise growled as Harry softened towards his godson.

"Oh Blaise, he can have a story. As long as you promise to go straight to bed afterwards!"

"I promise!" Teddy shouted then up and ran over to Harry. "Can we have the one about the tree brothers?! Hey Nessie! Harry's going to tell us the story about the three brothers! Do you want to hear it?"

"Can I mom?" Renesmee asked, looking up at Bella with pleading brown eyes. Harry could see Bella was a little floundered, the poor young mum had gone from being pregnant to having a child the mental equivalent to a ten year old in the body of an eight year old all in the space of a few months. It made her a little unsure as a parent but her heart was in the right place. Bella gave a crooked smile and nodded hesitatingly.

"Uh sure…is that okay?"

"Yeah." Harry nodded and Renesmee bounced over to him too, settling cross legged on the floor next to Teddy.

"The Three Brother's story is my favourite."

"Yes but it's a bit morbid isn't it Teddy?" Hermione asked, crouching next to Harry. Teddy turned wide, sky blue sparkling eyes on her and smiled with that childlike innocence.

"No! It has a happy ending."

"Right. Yeah, okay. If you can call it a happy ending." Ron scoffed. Teddy had an odd idea about what a happy ending was, but then again Harry thought that was probably just because Teddy was so young. And it was one of Harry, Ron and Hermione's best kept secrets that the Hallows were in fact real objects.

"Alright then. There once lived three wizards…" Harry began recounting.

"No Uncle Harry! With pictures!" Teddy interrupted and Harry heaved a sigh, drawing out his wand.

"Does anybody mind if I borrow the fire a minute?"

There were murmurings of 'no', as well as a few questions but the general feeling was that nobody minded.

"Okay then, here we go." Harry pointed his wand at the fire and, using a complicated charm he had learned from a parenting book a few years ago when Teddy first came to stay with him, Harry enchanted pictures to appear in the fire following the direction and images from Harry's mind.

"There once were three brothers who were travelling along a lonely winding road at twilight." The story started as it always did, and Teddy smiled as he relaxed into the familiar story telling. The flames flickered and the figures of three men walking side by side appeared. "In time the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through, and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were wizards and skilled in the magical arts. They simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear.

"They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. It was Death." Teddy, as always, gasped when the picture of Death appeared. Harry knew how the books portrayed Death to look like, but somehow that never really fit Harry's image of him. Especially not after Harry had met Albus Dumbledore at the station when he was nearly dear, and fought Voldemort to the death. Somehow, Harry's version of Death always looked like a cloaked old man with a skeletal serpentine face and a very, very long beard.

"He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travellers usually drowned in the river. But, Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic and said that each of them had earned a prize for being clever enough to evade him."

Harry brought up a picture of the oldest of the three brothers and went to continue with the story except Hermione butted in.

"Antioch, the eldest brother, was a combative man." She said and Harry concentrated on seeing the picture in his mind so he could control the flames as Hermione spoke. "He asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence, a wand that must always win battles for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who conquered Death. So, Death crossed to a nearby Elder Tree along the banks of the river and fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there and gave it to the oldest brother."

"The second brother, Cadmus," Ron continued on for Hermione, indicating for the children to look back at the flames when they looked at Ron instead. Harry changed the image to his impression of what Cadmus looked like. Oddly Cadmus resembled Gilderoy Lockhart with black hair. Ron continued talking, "was an arrogant man. He decided he wanted to humiliate Death still further and asked for the power to recall other people back from the dead. Death picked up a stone from the river and gave it to Cadmus, and told him the stone would have the power to bring back the dead."

Ron and Hermione's eyes flicked to Harry inviting him to talk about the third brother. Harry shook his head in bemusement and turned his attention back to the flame, bringing up an image of a man who looked remarkably like James Potter.

"Finally, Death turned to the third brother. Ignotus was a clever, humble man and he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own Cloak of invisibility."

Harry looked to Hermione, since she had spoken of the first brother it only made sense she be the one who finished that story. Hermione straightened her posture with a smile and continued on for him, reciting the words as if the book was right there in front of her.

"In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination. The first brother, Antioch, travelled for a week or more and, reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, Antioch proceeded to an inn, where he boasted of the powerful wand which he had snatched from Death himself and of how it made him invincible. That very night another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay in bed drunk. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat. And so Death took the first brother for his own."

"I like this story." The vampire Garratt grinned. "Has a lot more bloodshed in than I expected though, for a children's tale."

"Oh yeah? Like muggle traditional tales are much better." Harry chided. "Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Peter and the Wolf."

"Point taken." Garrett nodded.

"Uncle Harry! What about the second brother." Teddy reminded, glancing back with childish impatience.

Ron took over quickly then and retold the story being less truthful to the printed version. "Cadmus, the second brother, journeyed to his own home where he lived alone. There he took out the stone that Death had given him and turned it over three times in his hand. To his amazement the figure of the firl he loved, before she had suddenly died years earlier, appeared before him. But she was sad and cold. Even though Cadmus had brought her back to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and so she suffered for it. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing for her, killed himself so he could truly be with her. And so Death took the second brother for his own."

"But although Death searched everywhere for the third brother, he was never able to find him." The pictures in the fire showed Ignotus, beneath his cloak tiptoeing around the figure of Death who hunted and searched. Teddy giggled, not attaching the more sinister aspect of the story to the pictures. Oh but to have that innocence again. Harry concentrated. "It was only when Ignotus was incredibly old that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then, he greeted Death as an old friend, went with him gladly, and, as equals, they departed from this life."

Harry concluded but Teddy turned indignant eyes on Harry. "That's not the end!"

Harry sighed, rolled his eyes and met Blaise's patented grumpy stare. Concentrating yet again Harry continued on with the story, the words he, Ron and Hermione had always added onto the story whenever they retold it.

"The cloak of invisibility was passed from father to child, father to child down through the ages until it was handed down to one orphaned boy, a present left in trust for him by his father." Harry showed a picture of a bespectacled youth opening a present and finding the invisibility cloak. "The boy carried the cloak with him from that day onwards."

"The wand went from wizard to wizard, passed on in a legacy of death and destruction, from one power hungry man to the next, until one day it was stolen, not won, from a boy who had defeated the last owner of the wand." Hermione's words were hard, bringing emotion to the story and Harry showed the story in the flames. He showed the pale haired Draco Malfoy, features obscured, defeating the man with the Elder wand, only for the snake like Voldemort to steal the wand from the corpse of an old bearded man. "The boy," Harry showed Malfoy again, "then duelled his boyhood rival, his hated enemy, over another trivial matter and was defeated and unarmed by the boy."

"It's the boy with the cloak!" Teddy pointed out to Renesmee who smiled in a way that showed she had seen that but wasn't going to patronise Teddy.

"The Elder Wand, in the hands of the evil thief still, gave it's allegiance to the boy." Hermione finished and Ron took over, easily picking up the story.

"Many years ago a man desperate to fight for the greater good had searched and found a small black stone with the Deathly Hallows marks engraved onto them. Not knowing what the stone was, but knowing it had great power, the man kept it and stored it away. He did not use it; he hid it from the power hungry wizards who would seek to use its power for evil." Harry tried to picture Albus hiding the stone away in his desk, and changing the hiding place of the stone when the serpent like Voldemort came 'poking around'. That always amused Harry, though he thought Voldemort would be turning in his grave if he saw how Harry had trivialised his life into story.

"One day, the old man, fearing for his life, passed the stone on to his charge. A boy he had watched over and guided for years. The man hoped the stone would help the boy face his future and make the sacrifices that needed to be made for the greater good."

"Look! It's him again!" Teddy pointed to the flames where Harry showed Albus sending the stone with wings down to the bespectacled boy. Again, Renesmee smiled at Teddy indulgently then turned her attention back to the flames.

"Stone in hand, invisibility cloak around his shoulders the boy walked forwards through life until he met an evil man called Tom." Harry pictured the hideous face of Voldemort, clutching the Elder wand standing opposite the bespectacled boy in a forest.

"They battled. It was a long battle. Tom stood on the one side, wanting to kill everything that stood against him, and the boy on the other side, fighting to protect his friends, his family and his home." Hermione muttered and Harry obligingly pictured the watered down, child friendly scene to match. "Tom had the most powerful wand of all time in his possession and yet still he could not win the fight. The boy taunted Tom, telling him that the wand was not loyal to him, it was, in fact, loyal to the boy. Tom flew into a rage and cast a powerful killing curse at the boy. But the Elder Wand could not kill it's master. Instead it rebounded the curse and killed Tom, declaring its loyalty to the world."

"But the boy did not want the wand's loyalty, nor did he want the power of the stone. The power of the Deathly Hallows was too great, he said, and so the boy who mastered Death's Hallows cast them aside, breaking them, so they could never be used again."

"But he kept the cloak!" Teddy insisted.

"But he kept the cloak." Harry agreed with a nod. "So he could pass it on to his children, and his children's children, the only remaining Hallow continuing its journey through the world where he lived happily..."

"Ever after! Yay!" Teddy cheered and turned to Renesmee with questioning glee. "Did you like it?"

"Yes." Renesmee agreed fairly reluctantly and with far too intelligent eyes flicking to her father. She had obviously not missed the sinister notes in the morbid tale.

"It's my favourite story! And one day I can have the Cloak of Invisibility, can't I uncle Harry?!" Teddy looked up with those shining eyes which changed to bright emerald green to match Harry's, his hair shimmering into a messy black nest of hair and his facial structure twisting to resemble Harry's. Harry smiled at the mini-Harry before him and reached down to ruffle the boy's hair.

"Only if you deserve it." Harry muttered, and people around them chortled, obviously not getting the truth behind the tale.

"Aww."

"No bed time." Blaise's tone brooked for no arguments this time and Teddy nodded, giving a hug to Ron and Hermione before approaching Harry. Harry cuddled the boy close for a moment, then released him so he could say his goodnights to Blaise. Blaise wasn't really the hugging type, but he put his hand around the base of Teddy's neck and pulled the boy against him for a brief second before releasing him in the semblance of a hug.

"Good night!" Teddy bounced over to Leah, taking her by the hand, and leading her over to where his sleep mat was laid. There he transformed into a wolf and circled around a few times to get comfortable then lay down and curled up, closing his eyes to sleep.

"Good story." Garratt praised. "Very interesting fairy tale, I've not heard that one before and I've lived a very long time."

"Well after tomorrow I'll lend you my copy of Wizarding fairy tales if you like. Should be broader reading for you, if you feel up to the challenge of reading." Hermione taunted. Those two loved to hate each other. Garratt gave her a cheeky grin.

"If I ever get so bored as to resort to reading to entertain myself then I might just take you up on that offer."

"You lied." The voice was calm and gentle but it drew everyone's attention up to its owner. Maggie stood there, staring at Harry with her red eyes.

"I did?" He queried. Maggie frowned.

"You said he passed it on to his children…but that was a lie."

"Of all the bits to fixate on…it was all a lie, it's a children's tale." Garratt moaned but Maggie just shot him a look then stared back to Harry. Harry shifted guiltily and glanced at Ron and Hermione who looked equally shifty.

"Wait…" Garratt paused, staring. "You're saying the story is real?!"

"Most of it. Some of it is fanciful fiction and flourishes to make it more interesting, some of it is elaborations of the truth to make for a more child friendly tale." Hermione hedged.

"But you lied at the end."

"It's just the end of the story, a nice way to finish." Ron countered.

"Yes but…" Maggie started, looking frustrated. Harry squeezed Blaise's hand tightly as he butted in.

"The boy had no children. So he could not pass it down that way." Harry said truthfully and Maggie relaxed as she heard the truth.

"So everything else was real? There's actually such a thing called a cloak of invisibility?" Garratt laughed.

"Yes. Why, did you want to see it?" Harry spoke with a complete deadpan expression on his face. Garratt's jovial manner dropped before he tried to get it back and laugh, thinking Harry was joking, only he must have seen the sincerity in Harry's face because he dropped into seriousness again.

"You have it?"

"Yes."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm not."

"Wait a minute! Wait." Emmett blurted. "You're telling us that the cloak from the story, the one that even lets you hide from Death, is a real cloak and you have it with you?! Maggie, is he lying?"

"No. He's telling the truth." Maggie's Irish lilt made the words harsher somehow.

"Wow."

"I brought it in case we needed it. It turns out that we haven't." Harry shrugged. "That and I don't part with it."

"You have a cloak that hides you from Death?"

"Yes. It works great against Vampires too." There was a rush of movement and suddenly Bella appeared at Edward's side, face a study of pain and desperation. Harry met her eyes and suddenly felt a huge pang in his gut. Oh…oops. Feeling slightly sheepish but trying not to show it, other than the tightening of his grip against Blaise's hand, Harry spoke again. "Do you want to borrow it tomorrow? For Renesmee?"

"Do you have it? Will it work?" Jacob was out of his seat then too, eyes wide and lips parted. Harry sighed and saw how tightly Esme was holding Carlisle, how Rosalie was gripping onto Emmett and how Bella looked like she was barely restraining herself from running forward.

"Oh it works." Harry mumbled and glanced at his friends who just watched him patiently, with no hints of judgement, condemnation or arguments. Blaise didn't seem ready to offer much of an opinion but wouldn't meet Harry's eyes. Harry drew his wand and reached into his pocket. "Accio."

Silky smoothness brushed his fingers and he caught it and pulled. Meters upon meters of the watery fabric spilled out of his pocket, bundling up in his hand and spilling down to the floor.

"Is that…?" Bella asked, suddenly no more than one meter away from him.

"Yep. Here. Try it. I can't guarantee it will work against gifts like Edwards but it does an excellent job of hiding people from other forms of detection." Harry cautiously handed over the cloak. "Go careful with it, it's a family heirloom."

"You would give us this?" Edward asked haltingly.

"I'm letting you borrow it. I want it back afterwards." Harry asserted himself and Edward nodded, lips pursed but eyes grateful. Bella ran gentle hands over the cloak, looking at it reverently. If she was human Harry would have thought she would be crying, but he wasn't sure why. He frowned.

"You said it works against vampires?" Carlisle asked and Harry nodded to the coven leader. "Let's test it against Edward." Carlisle urged and Jacob stepped forwards.

"Hand it here. I'll do it, Edward can read my thoughts." Bella handed over the cloak to her friend who swallowed nervously as he let the fabric unfold. Pulling it around his shoulders Jacob disappeared from view, or at least his body did but his head didn't.

"Hah! You've got to put the hood up too!" Ron laughed and Jacob turned a little red but pulled up the hood, completely vanishing. Everyone looked at Edward who was gaping and looking around, concentrating hard.

"He's…he's gone. Completely gone. I can't sense him, hear him, _smell him_, even. I can't hear his thoughts at all. It works!" Edward whispered and Bella choked out something between a moan and a laugh.

"BOO!" Jacob roared, pushing into Edward from behind, the cloak dropping from over his head and revealing him. "God I've always wanted to be able to do that!" He joked and laughed, pulling the cloak off.

"Harry, can we…please?! Would it be alright to…" Bella asked desperately staring at Harry. Harry swallowed then shrugged.

"Sure. But I want it back tomorrow."

"Anything…anything! Thank you!" Bella squeezed Harry tightly in a hug. Harry gasped a little, her new-born strength rather painful.

"It's okay…it's okay…just…let go a little, you're hurting me!" Bella pulled back immediately with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. Just…thank you."

"You're welcome." Bella smiled again, nodded, then blurred over to Jacob, taking the cloak carefully and running back up to the tent with Renesmee.

"Thank you." Edward said, with grave sincerity coating his every word. Harry shrugged again.

"You're welcome. Like I said, we are here to help. Anything you need."

"If, after tomorrow, there's anything we can do for you…"

"Oh don't worry, we'll call you on it." Ron laughed then stretched. "Anyway, enough of all this mushy stuff. Is this a bonfire or a weeping girl's meeting. Come on!"

Just like that the sombre emotions were brushed away. Jacob invited war stories which had everyone gather around telling theirs.

Off to the side Harry noticed Edward and Carlisle having a heart to heart. He didn't hear all of it but he did hear Edward thanking his father.

"I never thanked you for this extraordinary life."

* * *

The next morning arrived torturously slowly. Even though Harry knew their victory was assured, because how could it be anything else with his friends by his side, he still felt anticipation and anxiousness flutter in his belly. He must have seemed fluttery and nervous because after he sent Teddy away back to the Cullen's house, protecting the house under layers of magical wards, Blaise held both his hands tightly and stared at him unmoving.

"Calm down." Blaise's words were soft, caring, but as always held a steely undertone that bellied his seriousness.

"I'm fine."

"Yes you are. Now act like it." Blaise wasn't very good at reassurance but his firm assertions did help. Harry took a breath and calmed, leaning forwards into his mate and seeking the closeness of physical touch. Blaise obligingly wrapped his arms around Harry and rested his chin on Harry's head.

"Bet you never thought you'd be marching into battle with me."

Blaise snorted. "Oh please Potter, the thought that I'd forever be fighting the good fight was the third thing that popped into my mind after discovering you were my mate."

Harry pulled back frowning up at his mate. "What were the other two things then?"

"That my mate was the most stunningly beautiful I had ever seen." Blaise drawled suavely, leaning down to press a kiss to Harry's lips. "And I had the most powerful wizard alive as my own for all time, Malfoy would forever be envious of my status."

"Wow. So, purely selfish thoughts then." Harry laughed.

"I am a selfish creature Harry, that is why I am mates with you."

"Why?"

"Because our characters temper the other's." Blaise smirked and pressed a kiss to Harry's lips. Harry hummed enjoying the contact.

"Yeah alright, I suppose so."

"Oi! You two! Come on, we're leaving!" Ron called and Harry laughed as he ran to catch up.

The entire group of witnesses walked forwards as one, glancing from side to side to both give reassurance with their gazes and to seek it. They marched through he forest, their vampiric speed getting them through the trees to a frozen clearing in mere seconds.

"This is exciting isn't it?! Marching into battle!" Ron grinned.

"Are you so green you've never marched into battle?!" Garratt taunted.

"Well nah. We were never there waiting for it to start. Usually the battle came to us." Ron gave Garratt a huge grin, full of teeth. "But I can tell you we were always there at the end!"

"Haha. Now that's a good man!" Garratt chuckled.

They made it to the field and waited, lined up and grouped. Edward, Bella and Renesmee waited slightly forward of their group, flanked on either side but slightly behind by Carlisle and Esme, and Emmett and Rosalie. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Blaise waited off to one side, wands hidden but ready. The wait was painful. If Harry were mortal he would have said the cold didn't help matters, but the cold didn't bother him anymore. Instead it was somehow the sheets of virgin white snow, the picturesque frigidness that added a chill to the whole thing. It was poetic really. A vicious fight over a virgin land…now Harry was just being silly. Anticipation and nerves did that to you.

"If we get out of this alive…" Garratt's voice was soft and Harry noticed he had the hint of a smile on his lips. "I'll follow you anywhere woman."

"Now you tell me." Kate said but her own smile crept over her lips.

"Aww that's nice isn't it! I love the way war always brings people together." Ron joked.

"Ron shut up!" Hermione hissed at the same time Harry hushed his friend with a shove.

"Be quiet Ron!"

Ron just laughed. "What?! Well it does!"

The sound of crushing snow met their ears. Feet over sticks. Pressure and soft whispers of movement in the air. It sparked off tension through their group. People holding hands gripped tighter, Harry twisted around anxiously to check on his friends. Ron and Hermione gave him small smiles, sensing his tension, and reached out clasping his hands so they flanked him on either side. Blaise stood right behind him, hands resting on Harry's hips, his chest to Harry's back.

"The red coats are coming! The red coats are coming!" Garratt bounced lightly where he stood, eyes watching the distance. Harry turned his eyes there too, waiting and barely breathing.

From the trees came a row of people, dressed in thick black cloaks that swept the floor. All their hoods were raised but even that didn't stop Harry from noticing their pale faces and blood red eyes. There were a lot of them, several hundred in fact.

"I'll take the thirty on the left, Hermione you can get those on the right and Harry? You can have everybody else."

"Gee, yeah, thanks Ron."

"Any time mate." Ron grinned, enjoying this way too much. Ron either got severely cranky and stressed out under pressure or, having spent a lot of time around George in recent years, resorted to jokes.

"Whom should I take?" Blaise queried lightly, deep voice vibrating through Harry and the air pleasantly.

"Ah well, I figured you'd be with Harry." Ron shrugged.

"How right you are."

As the Volturi neared, the flashes of red fabric lining their cloaks could be seen and Harry now understood the reference Garratt made, although perhaps Garratt mentioned some other war last night around the bonfire involving red coats…Harry hadn't been paying a great deal of attention.

Closer now the Volturi split off a little, a central group pacing forwards at a faster pace. Harry recognised the faces; Aro, Caius, Marcus, Demetri, the other Volturi guard and the younger vampires Harry now had names for - Jane and Alec.

"Aro's looking for Alice." Edward's words easily reached Harry who frowned before remembering.

"Oh yeah, Edward's sister. The one with precognition." Harry explained. "She left before this whole thing started." He said, reminding himself but feeling Blaise nod anyway. Ron turned around and pinned Harry with his stare, mouthing without sound.

'She's coming.'

"Oh! Right, okay then."

As the Volturi got closer still howls went up. Dozens and dozens of wolf howls filled the air and Harry knew, perfectly timed, that the packs were emerging from the trees now, declaring their support and their strength for the Cullen's. Some vampire's eyes widened, some started scanning around looking from wolf to wolf, other's shrank a little in fear but all remained pacing forwards. The wolves paced forwards and weaved in between all the vampires. Leah, her beautiful white fur not looking quite as pure white against the snow, came to stand by them. As the wolves took their positions the Volturi came to a halt, Aro's eyes pinned on the wolves.

The Volturi flicked down their hoods and the tension filled air seemed to settle and still. The anxious wait was over, now everything was decided.

Carlisle walked forwards. "Aro, let us discuss things as we used to - in a civilised manner."

"Fair words Carlisle, but a little out of place given the battalion you have assembled against us."

"I can promise you, that was never my intent." He said sincerely but firmly, unwavering in his confidence. "No laws have been broken here."

"We see the child! Do not treat us as fools!"

"She is not an immortal!" Carlisle called, voice raised and words clear and concise as they echoed around the clearing. "These witnesses can attest to that. Or you can look. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

"Artifice!" Caius called angrily.

"Oooh you just want to smack him don't you?" Hermione grumbled.

"What happened to the Hermione who didn't approve of violence?" Harry asked and Hermione gave him a small scowl.

"Well I think it's sexy." Ron grinned at her and she gave him a grateful smile. "And you are right by the way, only I wasn't thinking about smacking."

At this point Edward was walking forwards, called by Aro, and, clearly against his will, was offering his hand and his memories up so Aro could see them. The vampire leader clasped Edward's hand tightly, then those red eyes flicked over to Renesmee, a peculiar smile on his lips.

"I'd like to meet her."

A hesitant Bella turned to Renesmee and tried to give her a reassuring smile before beginning to walk forwards, hand in hand with her daughter. Jacob followed, without a word. But as they walked Bella looked back over her shoulder to Emmett. Harry saw Emmett wordlessly walk forwards with them offering his support.

Then Bella glanced over to Harry. There was a question in her eyes, a beseeching, and a lot of trust. Harry smiled, nodded.

"I'll be back in a minute." He muttered to his friends, releasing their hands and sliding out of Blaise's hold. He paced forwards, joining Emmett behind Bella and offering his support and power to her, hoping to boost her confidence.

As they reached Aro, his eyes turned from the little girl to Bella, that look of apt fascination not leaving despite the change of subject. Harry looked past the maniacal leader and over to Demetri who was looking at Harry in bewilderment and a touch of fear. Harry couldn't help himself, he smirked at Demetri and straightened his spine. Demetri's eyes widened and confused, worried red eyes flicked between Harry and the child Renesmee. Yes, Harry thought, now you're not so certain.

"Ahh young Bella." The words were creepy, slimy and drenched in disgusting satisfaction. "Immortality becomes you."

Then Aro let out the stupidest laugh Harry had ever heard and he had a very hard time not laughing at the noise that spewed from Aro's mouth as the centuries old vampire gave a high pitched laugh and pointed immaturely to Renesmee.

"I hear her strange heart!" He crooned and looked up at Bella, the look in his eyes slightly crazed but equally demanding as only a moment ago. Bella and Renesmee shared a look, so much communicated in that one glance between mother and daughter, before Renesmee bravely stepped forwards. She bypassed the hand Aro held out and, with more bravery due any child, greeted the leader who came to seek her death.

"Hello Aro." She said sweetly, and gently pressed her hand upon his cheek.

Aro looked stunned silent before he breathed one word. "Magnifico."

Renesmee stepped back into the safety of her mother's arms and Aro rose up to his full height again.

"Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this new-born while she was still human."

Caius immediately rebuked the words, declaring it impossible and ensuring Aro's anger turned to him as Bella, Edward and Renesmee turned and walked away quickly. Harry followed, along with Emmett but he did watch over his shoulder as Jacob growled angrily at Aro.

Blaise held his arms open, waiting for Harry to settle back next to him. Ron and Hermione were standing holding hands, eyeing everything.

"Demetri has seen me."

"I notice. And now he has seen me."

"I hope he shits himself." Ron muttered crudely. "I would, if I was him."

In their distraction they didn't notice the blonde vampire standing trial until the shouts went up.

"IRINA!"

Harry's attention jerked back to the Volturi just in time to see two of the guard pull apart another woman and Caius light her body on fire.

"The bastard!" Harry immediately moved forwards, as did Hermione yelling out in a rage filled yell that joined the chorus of Tanya, Kate's and Carmen. Blaise's hands grabbed him and yanked him back. Harry struggled viciously in the hold but Blaise was stronger and wrapped his arms around him even tighter, holding him immobile. "Blaise let me go!"

"Blind them!" Edward ordered and Harry snapped his head to the side to see the Denali women being held back by various different people. The amazon woman stared around them all and Harry shut his eyes so he wouldn't be effected by their power.

"Give me my sight back!"

"Tanya, listen to me." Edward's voice, placating and calm but the words were hurried and imploring. "This is what they want. If you attack now then we all die."

Harry stopped his struggles immediately, and risked opening his eyes to see Tanya, Kate and Carmen stop struggling too. The people holding them released them and they stood glaring at the Volturi. Harry shrugged off Blaise's arms.

"I'm fine. I'm not going to do anything." He growled when Blaise reached out to grab him again.

"Your Gryffindor temper is going to get you into trouble."

Harry did not dignify his mate with an answer.

A single word echoed on the breeze.

"Pain."

Edward grunted and fell, clutching his stomach. The Volturi smirked a little and Harry felt his rage bubble up again. He saw the satisfied look in Jane's eyes and knew it was her doing. Harry made to step forwards again but stopped when he saw Bella lunge forwards, pause and start concentrating. Harry couldn't see it but he could feel the shield she projected and it must have spread as far as Edward because he stood up and moved to Bella's side, taking her hand in his. Harry smirked and looked over at Jane, loving the look of rage on the young vampires face as she lunged forwards eyes hatefully intent on Bella.

Aro, regrettably, stopped her. Harry so wished he hadn't…and Harry wasn't a vindictive person by nature.

"Aro," Carlisle spoke, gentle and beseechingly, "you see there is no law broken here."

"Agreed." Aro said and then his lips twisted as that sly, sleazy nature of his rose to the fore. "But does it then follow that there is no danger?"

He turned to the Volturi and with impressive charisma started spouting such ridiculous drivel that Harry was seconds away from cursing him…had Blaise not restrained his wand hand he would have. Harry shot his mate a look, Blaise stared back evenly, patiently and knowingly.

"For the first time in our history, humans pose a threat to our kind. Their modern technology has given birth to weapons that could destroy us. Containing our secret has never been more imperative. In such perilous times, only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. And we know nothing of what this child will become. Can we live with such uncertainty? Spare ourselves the fight today, only to die tomorrow."

The Volturi shook their heads, horrified and taken in by Aro's speech. The blatant war mongering propaganda swept them under his spell and had them braced to fight.

"Alice…" Edward breathed at the same time Aro suddenly gasped out the same. Harry saw, walking across the snow white fields, a pixie like woman, thin in the extreme, with short cropped hair. She walked side by side with a honey haired vampire that Harry knew, from pictures and talk over the last few weeks, was Jasper, Alice's mate.

Aro's men restrained them as they crossed too close to the Volturi leaders and Alice struggled a little in the hold.

"My dear, dear Alice. We are so glad to see you here after all." The smarmy vampire purred.

"I have evidence the child wont be a risk to our kind." Alice's words, delivered with soft melodic tones turned Aro's gleeful smile into a distaste-filled grimace. "Let me show you."

Aro all but leapt forwards. Ron snorted. "He's worse than a kid in a sweet shop! Look at him!"

"Shh Ron. I want to listen."

"Oh _now_ you want to listen, earlier you were all for…"

"Shh!"

Alice was allowed to step forwards and she placed her hand straight into Aro's. Had he been a dog he would have been salivating. As it was he just grinned. Until he saw whatever it was he saw.

He pulled back in shock, dismay etched into his face.

"Now you know. That's your future." Alice's tone was snide, cautioning and at the same time insulting. "Unless you decide on another course."

"Oh well played." Blaise breathed, muscles relaxing a little against Harry. Aro looked bewildered and something akin to horrified. He looked down clearly torn in his decision.

Caius stepped forwards, his ruthless nature slathering the words from his mouth. "We cannot alter our course. The child still poses a grave threat."

"But what if you could be sure she could remain concealed from the human world? Could we leave in peace?" Edward called, and there was something in his tone that said he knew something they did not.

"Of course," Caius agreed petulantly, "but that cannot be known!"

"Actually it can." Edward blurted. Harry knew he was not the only one centring his attention on Edward at that moment. It seemed everybody turned to look.

From behind them came a noise. The sound of feet crunching the snow covered earth. Bodies moving and disrupting the air. Vibrations in the air particles as they pushed and moved the wind. Two solitary figures walked from the forest across the field.

They were, what appeared to be, Native American. Harry wasn't really one to know. They were dressed ion brown leathers and skins, ornate beading decorating them. The woman had long thick hair framing her oval face and a beautiful silvery neck design on the front of her brown fabric dress. The man next to her, towering over her petite form, was pure muscle. Bare chested except for beaded decorations and a leather strip, he wore only a loin cloth decorated exquisitely.

"I've been searching for witnesses of my own," Alice announced, "among the Ticuna tribes of Brazil."

"We have enough witness-"

"Enough Caius, let them speak." Aro interrupted.

"I am half human." The male started to say, standing tall and proud as he made his declaration. "Half vampire, like the child. A vampire seduced my mother, who died giving birth to me. My aunt Huilen raised me as her own. I made her immortal."

"How old are you?!" Bella blurted out, taking quick paces forwards before Edward could hold her back, keeping her behind him. The two Brazilian tribe's people turned, giving Bella understanding smiles.

"A hundred and fifty years." The man said and it was like all the air rushed out of Bella with relief. She turned to Edward, eyes closing and seemed to bask a little in that knowledge.

"At what age did you reach maturity?" Aro questioned.

"I became full grown seven years after my birth. I have not changed since then."

"And your diet?"

"Blood. Human food. I can survive on either."

"These children are much like us!" Marcus breathed, ancient voice raspy and weary as if the world preyed on him constantly.

"Regardless," came the ever constant snide, ruthless voice of Caius, "the Cullen's have been consorting with werewolves, our natural enemies."

Aro turned and gave the younger vampire a look that Harry could not see but he hoped it was a warning look. Whatever it was it made Caius back down.

"Dear ones!" Aro called. "There is no danger here. We will not fight today."

His words had the Volturi turn and begin to leave. The Cullen's and their allies breathed a sigh of relief until…

"ARO!" That was Hermione's voice. The Volturi stopped, eyes locked on Harry's best friend. She stood there bold as brass, standing full height and glaring over at Aro with a look in her face that warned of the dressing down she was about to give.

"Yeeees?" Aro asked, dragging the word out as if he was just about to humour a child. Hermione raised her chin at the tone.

"You've just made the wisest decision of your life." She declared. "But had you made the wrong one we would have interfered and the consequences would have been dire. Heed my warning, your actions today have spared you, but we are under no illusions that it was out of the kindness of your hearts. Your actions have proved you dangerous, untrustworthy and reckless in your leadership."

Aro bristled and went to speak but Hermione continued talking.

"You have clearly been left unmanaged for too long and we will no longer sit back and remain idle while an entire species suffers under your rule. Know this! The Cullen's are under our protection." Hermione flicked out her wand, Ron, Harry and Blaise immediately following her lead. She sent them grateful smiles then glared back at Aro hissing ominously, "The Wizarding World will be watching you, make no mistakes!"

"Wizards you say?"

"Do you need a demonstration?" Ron asked, grinning dangerously as he stepped forwards fondling his wand. Aro's eyes flicked to it, obviously taking notice of the glow of an as yet uncast spell and quickly shook his head.

"No, but you are clearly vampires and not wizards."

"We are both. Such a pity it is that in your centuries of life you have not learned about us before. After all, it was one of our kind that created yours." Hermione's smile was decidedly conniving.

Aro's top lip quivered back, the grimace ruining his attempt at a sneer. "Yes, a pity we did not become acquainted before all of this." He swept his hand indicating to the Cullen's and Harry decided to step forwards.

"We did. We were never formally introduced but I have been witness to some of your dealings and let me assure you, I have been very unimpressed." Harry knew his words were weak, he was no orator. But had they known him they would have understood the weight behind his words. Blaise, however, took the stage.

"You were lucky to leave with your life, had Harry been anyone else I am sure you would not have survived." Blaise informed him, then noticed Caius' sneer. "Perhaps you see this mercy as a weakness. Clearly you underestimate the seriousness of your situation and that demonstration is in order after all. Ron?"

"Hah!" Ron laughed, levelled his wand and cast the strongest fire spell in his arsenal. Fiend-fire sprung from his wand with the roar of a dragon. It lashed out, snapping the threatening the Volturi who stepped back in fear.

Hermione cast her strongest spell at the Cullen's, warding and shielding them from any and all danger. The ward glowed blue and sparkled like glitter.

"Ron!" She called and Ron directed the fire to lash out at the ward. The ward flashed and hissed, pushing the fire back. Ron stopped the spell and turned to look at the Volturi, eyebrow raised mockingly. Hermione cancelled the shield.

"Impressive." Aro muttered grudgingly. "We have impressive powers amongst our number; you are welcome to join us."

"I still do not think you understand the situation. Come, let me show you." Blaise stepped forwards, arm extended and his palm facing down. He deliberately kept his body language condescending and held his hand out like a king would hold his hand out for a subject to kiss his knuckles. Aro couldn't resist the offer though. They met in the middle of the field. He took the proffered hand and Harry moved to stand next to his mate wondering what the vampire was showing Aro.

Emotions played across Aro's face. Shock, horror, dismay, hope, hopelessness…then a careful mask slid over his face barring any more emotions from being visible. Harry knew though, whatever Aro had seen had shaken him. The centuries old vampire fearful of whatever Blaise had shown him.

"Now, _now_¸ I think you understand_._" Blaise breathed and Aro gave a small nod. "Now you see his mercy, now you see the danger. Aren't you glad my mate is the way that he is?" Blaise's words were taunting and accompanied by his hand smoothing over Harry's stomach, having turned to his mate as soon as Aro had released his hand. Aro didn't say anything but his eyes communicated his understanding.

"Enough threatening, they are unnecessary and one of the reasons why Harry is our leader and not I. A true leader leads by example, leads through loyalty and understanding. He does not demand respect he earns it, he is a man who does not ask for the right to lead but assumes it anyway, doing his damnedest to lead properly. Am man like that is a true leader, a man like that is Carlisle Cullen."

"You would do well to learn from Carlisle." Harry echoed and Aro's eyes flicked to him. From the way Aro swallowed Harry guessed that part of what Blaise communicated was Harry's power because the vampire swallowed nervously.

"Indeed. It appears there is much to reflect upon today." The words were hedgy, placating but at the same time self-excusing.

"During your self-reflection remember us. Remember what we've showed you. Remember we will be watching." Hermione reiterated. "New laws will be written, by you or _for _you."

"And remember. The Cullen's are under our protection." Harry stared at those red, red eyes, daring him to question it. Harry thought the sentiment was worth repeating again, this time staring into the face of Marcus and the Caius who looked like he had swallowed something revolting. "The Cullen's are under _my_ protection."

"As you wish. Come!" Aro demanded and ushered his people away. They left in blurs of colour and glares of anger but they did leave. The field miraculously free of hostile vampires and the Cullen's and their allies were alone and free, the threat and danger lifted from them.

"Harry." Carlisle called, footsteps indicating his approach. Harry turned to face the man head on, those amber eyes grateful. "Your words were unnecessary but you have my gratitude, and that of my family's."

"I told you everything would be alright, didn't I?"

"Yes you did. But I admit I did not expect such a declaration of loyalty from you when we are little more than strangers still."

"Hmm, Harry likes you." Blaise rumbled, drawing the Olympic Coven leader's attention. "He respects you. We may not know you, nor you us, but enough is known for that."

"Yeah, plus you needed help and Harry's a sucker for a sob story." Ron joked. "You had us hook line and sinker before you even met us."

"Well," Carlisle laughed at the jovial words but nodded in appreciation. "Thank you. I don't know how we can ever repay you, but thank you."

"Any time."

* * *

The allies started breaking away that evening. There was a celebration, of course, and there was a time of questions and answers. Mostly Bella interrogated Nahuel, the hybrid, about his life and what they might expect for Renesmee. They were introduced to Alice who fluttered about saying she couldn't see them, didn't see them, because she couldn't see the futures of any species that she hadn't been a part of. Still, she welcomed them. Jasper was wary of them, strained around Harry, until Blaise realised why and decided to bite Harry right in front of Jasper, drinking Harry's blood and giving a demonstration that Harry would still live even if Jasper lost his fight not to bite him. Blaise did say though that he wasn't going to share Harry's blood willingly.

That was when Hermione pulled out some blood pops. Jasper was hooked. As a parting gift Hermione handed them out to the other allies who wanted some.

By that evening everybody had left. It was only, Harry, Blaise, Ron, Hermione and Teddy who had yet to leave. Harry stood at the window watching Teddy play with Leah. Leah looked bittersweet, on the verge of tears but she was playing with Teddy happily enough. Harry knew that Leah suspected she would lose Teddy soon, now that everything was all over. Harry had thought about it, returning to England. But Hermione's words from a while ago came back to him and that option sounded far, far better.

"Harry? Caro?" Arms slid around his waist, a face nuzzling his neck lovingly. Blaise.

"Hey."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Teddy." Harry answered honestly then spun around in Blaise's arms to look up at his mate, draping his arms over Blaise's shoulders. "Tell me something?"

"Anything." Blaise promised and Harry smiled.

"How do you feel about Forks?"

Blaise's eyes narrowed a little, then he glanced out of the window. Harry knew he was looking at Teddy and that intelligent Slytherin brain was making all the right connections. Blaise's crimson eyes turned back to Harry.

"They are a very necessary eating utensil." Harry laughed at the joking words.

"Alright, how do you feel about England?"

"It's England." Blaise shrugged then leaned down and kissed Harry. The kiss was sweet, tender and it communicated more that words ever could to how much Blaise didn't care about the real question Harry was asking. Blaise would go anywhere, as long as it was with Harry.

"Hmm." Harry smiled and Blaise kissed him once more before looking over his shoulder.

"I'll go find Hermione and Ron."

"Thank you." Harry muttered and Blaise disappeared off. Harry glanced once more out of the window to where Teddy was playing with Leah…only they weren't playing. Leah was holding Teddy in her arms hugging him tightly as he played with her hair, twisting it around his finger as he used to do to Harry's when he was a baby. The tenderness there cemented Harry's decision.

He abandoned the window in favour of walking through the house. Downstairs he found Carlisle in the lounge with Esme, Rosalie, Jasper, Alive, Edward and Bella. The family were chatting happily and affectionately. Only Emmett was missing but Harry suspected he was off with Ron somewhere, the two of them had become fast friends. Harry, not wanting to interrupt turned to leave the family alone and talk to them later.

"Harry!" Edward called and Harry turned back, seeing Edward's welcoming smile.

"I didn't mean to intrude."

"No, no, you weren't." Edward reassured him.

"Please, come in." Carlisle beckoned.

Harry moved further into the room and sat on the empty sofa, only to be jostled less than a second later by the arrival of Ron, Hermione and Blaise who sat down beside him. Emmett had turned up too, sliding next to Rosalie and cradling her close.

"Are you leaving?" Bella asked and Harry hoped that was a note of sadness in her tone.

"We were going to yes." Harry muttered and stood up again, clenching his hands in front of him, looking between all the members of the Cullen family before settling on Carlisle. "Actually we were hoping for a favour…_I_ was hoping for a favour."

"Ask away, you've done so much for us we would be happy to help you in any way we can." The words were promising, inviting, and gave Harry a boost of confidence.

"I was hoping…"

"We were hoping." Hermione corrected, giving Harry a look when he glanced at her. Harry smiled, his friends were with him on this.

"_We_ were hoping that you might allow us to stay, with you I mean."

"Stay?" Carlisle asked. Harry noticed Bella shift against Edward and Esme came up to place her hand on Carlisle's arm.

"Yes." Harry nodded and swallowed. "We were hoping to stay in Forks, if you would let us."

"Harry…"

"We have enjoyed our time here and Teddy has Leah, I wouldn't want to tear them apart. We have made friends with you, or at least I think of you as my friends. And I respect you all, for your morals, for your beliefs and for your leadership. It would mean a great deal to us if we could be given the opportunity to belong somewhere with others like us. Obviously we still have family in England but we are immortal and they are not, and I did promise you my protection. We would be honoured if you would let us stay here with you to fulfil our promise." Harry rambled, hoping to get his reasons out quickly to persuade Carlisle.

"Harry, of course you can stay, for no other reason that you were willing to fight on our behalf and protect our family. We would never turn you away for that." Carlisle said gently, smiling.

"Yeah?"

"Of course Harry." Esme said, crossing forwards and taking Harry's hands in hers. "You are more than welcome, always."

"Thank you."

"I would have to request that you continue to obey the hunting rules." Here Carlisle looked over to Blaise who shrugged.

"The only human I bite is Harry."

"Pfft yeah, in more ways than one." Emmett joked, earning himself a nudge from his mate. Blaise smirked, then stood, approaching Carlisle and offering his hand.

"Harry wishes to join you; I will happily follow my mate."

"Then welcome, Blaise." Carlisle shook Blaise's hand.

"Any rules you set are fine by me. There are probably less of them than the ones Hermione sets at home so…ow! Hermione! That actually hurt!"

"Seriously Ron, try to think before you speak!"

"I did! It's not my fault you took offense." Hermione clicked her tongue and stood up to shake Carlisle's hand.

"I would be honoured to join you Carlisle. You and your family are good people and perhaps together the idea of an eternity to live won't seem as lonely."

"Oi! And what do I look like? I'm right here."

"Yes, I know." Hermione drawled at Ron's words and the others laughed.

"Welcome to the family Harry." Edward said, held his arm out and stepped forwards bringing Harry into a hug. "After what you've done for my family I would be honoured to call you brother."

"Thank you Edward."

"Of course this means we might have to come up with another cover story but…who cares." Alice chirped and swept Harry up in a huge hug. "Aww it's nice to have another brother!"

"Well I've never had a sister so go easy on me."

"Oh I will!"

"No…she won't." Jasper joked but held his hand out to shake Harry's. He still looked a little pained but he was coping.

"You know, if it's the smell of blood there is a charm I could do to help." Harry ventured and Jasper quirked an eyebrow questioningly. Harry nodded. "Yeah I did it for us when Teddy first started transforming. We didn't like how he smelt so we cast the spell that blocked it, I can easily do the same for you and block the smell of blood."

"That would be…very useful, thank you. I shall try to resist though, and the blood pops will certainly help at school."

"School?! Wait, you go to school?! You're vampires! What are you going to school for?!" Ron blurted, half outraged.

"To blend in. We look like teenagers and everyone expects teenagers to attend school So we don't draw attention to ourselves we go to school too." Alice explained happily and Ron groaned loudly, flopping back in his seat.

"Oh no! No no! That's it, I'm wearing glamour's! I will look like an old man if that's what it takes but I am not spending an eternity attending school! No way!"

"Glamour's?" Esme asked.

"They change your appearance." Harry explained and Carlisle looked intrigued.

"They can make you look older?"

"Yeah, watch." Ron cast a quick glamour that gave him wrinkles, blue eyes and a beard.

"Wow! Do me next! I want a moustache!" Ron cast the charm on Emmett who ran to a mirror.

"Sweet!"

"Oh just think if we could…I mean…" Esme started to say, then stopped and looked like she was biting back her words.

"Hmm?" Blaise's hum was questioning, asking for Esme to go on.

"It's just, we move on every few years because people start to suspect things when we don't age. If…I mean…"

"If we used our glamour's then you might be able to stay in one place for longer." Blaise finished off for her and at her nod he shrugged. "Don't see why not, they're easy enough to do."

"Meeting you might just have been the best luck we've had in years!" Emmett summed up and his family laughed.

Their family laughed.

Harry followed silently as his family walked, en masse, into their new school. They had moved towns, still staying in the Olympic Park area, but this time attending Sequim High school. They hadn't moved far from their roots, but they couldn't live in Forks any longer because over the last few years the whole family had 'died of old age' and been buried.

"Ah! Doctor Hale! Mrs Hale! How nice to see you."

"Ah yes, my apologies. I thought it best if we all arrived together so the kids could get the feel for their new school."

Ron groaned audibly and Hermione nudged him while Emmett snickered.

The receptionist, a very sticklike woman with the face of a horse, flushed pink but nodded understandingly.

"Yes, I see. Well, let me get your forms together for you then."

"Begging your pardon Ma'am, but we are here for the same reason." Charlie said, slipping forward to the reception desk.

"And my family too." Sue walked forwards, Jacob, Leah and Blaise in tow.

"My goodness…well, it must be the day for signing up then! I'll just go and get all the forms."

"Much appreciated Ma'am." Charlie said, moustache twitching as he spoke. Harry looked at the vampire with a smile, Charlie just rolled his eyes drolly.

Charlie had been turned when he developed cancer. Renesmee had become distraught, Bella inconsolable, and Sue had begged them to do something to help. That was when Charlie had become privy to their secrets and, reluctantly, agreed to be turned into a vampire. Sue was turned shortly afterwards to keep him company, the two of them happily becoming mates as vampires. Charlie was still not keen on drinking blood but he did like a hunt, and there were plenty of blood pops involved. Conveniently, having Charlie and Sue as obvious adults amongst their group helped their cover stories.

They were now four families; the Cullens, the Hales, the Swan's and the Blacks.

Carlisle was a Hale now, as was Esme. Jasper, Rosalie and Hermione were posing as their children. Edward, Ron and Teddy were their adopted children, with the surname of Cullen. Then there was Charlie Swan, who was posing as the single father to Bella, Renesmee, Emmett and widowed step father to twins Alice and Harry. Sue Black, as she was now known, had Jacob, Leah and Blaise under her wing.

"Ah, isn't it exciting!" Alice sang, sliding her arm through Harry's.

"If you say so."

"Well I do."

"Well I don't find anything exciting about starting school…again!" Renesmee rolled her eyes back at them. Harry laughed at the disgruntled look in his 'sister's' eyes.

"Oh you will. Just think how much fun it will be with all of us, all together starting a new life here."

"Oh I'm trying."

"Hah. Look at your mate and try again." Alice joked.

"Alice stop it." Edward scolded just as the receptionist came back into the room.

"Oh you all know each other?" She asked innocently. Carlisle glanced around the group with a humour filled look.

"Oh, it turns out we are all next door neighbours."

"Aww, that's nice. Your children' won't be starting school alone then." She said with a kind smile then turned away obviously muttering to herself but everybody heard it. "Not that they could ever be alone with so many of them."

Harry shared a look with Blaise who smirked back at him. All the couples seemed to share a look with their significant others, Teddy and Leah included.

"Maybe school won't be too bad after all." Ron muttered and Emmett boomed out a laugh.

"Course not! We are going to rule the school!"

* * *

"Who are they?"

"Who them? They're…complicated."

"Complicated how?"

"Well there are the Hales, Doctor and Mrs Hale's kids. Jasper is the thin one, Rosalie the pretty blonde and Hermione is the one carrying all the books. Then you have the Cullens, the Hale's adopted children. Edward is the tall one, he rarely talks to anybody. Ron is alright, bit of a joked though. Teddy is the last one, the strong one, he's on the football team and unless you want to talk about sport or his girlfriend Teddy doesn't pay much attention to you. Leah is his girlfriend, she's a Black, her brothers are Jacob over there and Blaise. Don't ever try to talk to Blaise. Cold doesn't cover it, he's damned well rude and horrible. Then you have the Swan family. Bella, Renesmee, Emmett, Alice and Harry. They all live next to each other in three huge houses. They knocked down the fences between their houses last year and now pretty much all live together! They are all like together, together too. Edward is with Bella, Jasper is with Alice, Emmett is with Rosalie, Renesmee is with Jacob, Teddy is with Leah, Harry is gay, he's with Blaise, and Ron and Hermione are together. Even Mister Swan and Miss Black are together now."

"Huh. They're beautiful."

"Yeah, but they don't talk to anyone! They've got, like, no personality!"

"Somebody's talking about us again." Bella muttered to Edward who smirked at her as they all sat down around one of the tables.

"Yeah well, let them talk. You'll get used to it." Edward teased and Bella groaned, looking at him. He smirked and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her in for a kiss.

"It might take another hundred years."

"We've got time."

* * *

Author's Note: Not my best piece of writing ever but I at least got a story out. This took two days to write, in one particular place it took watching Breaking Dawn part two over and over again, pausing every second or so to make sure I had the speech right.

Obviously my characterisation could use some work here. I always struggle with Blaise's character, I can never write him well but he is a character I like. I suppose I just have to keep toying with him until he works on paper. I don't know the Twilight characters well at all, I've only ever watched the films and never even touched the books so I apologise for them. I mostly just wanted the story to go on. I needed to get it down and get it done. And I have. It turned out exactly how I imagined it, and it was never meant to be long.

I hope you enjoyed it.


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